


Bechloe Christmas 2018

by when_you_know_you_know



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 05:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 35,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17359811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/when_you_know_you_know/pseuds/when_you_know_you_know
Summary: A Bechloe Christmas One-Shot a day, from the 1st December to the 25th December 2018





	1. You

##  _2011_

It all started off as a joke. A serious joke, yes. But a joke all the same. After all, there was no telling if Beca actually  _was_ romantically interested in Chloe, and Chloe was totally aware of that.

So when she’d first sang Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, Chloe had done so within the company of all her fellow Bellas and Beca, in Beca’s Freshman year, at a coffee shop in Atlanta - where the song had been playing on the overhead system.

Chloe had looked  _specifically_   _at_  Beca each time she’d sang that line. And each time Beca hadn’t been looking at her, staring down at her coffee, her cheeks flush with embarrassment because people were all looking at their table as if the girls sat around it were a bunch of hysterical lunatics. Chloe hadn’t lost faith. The words she was singing to Beca were true - all she wanted for Christmas  _was_  her. But there was no way Beca could ever really know that.

##  _2012_

The second year that Chloe purposefully sang Mariah Carey to Beca, they were in the kitchen with The Bellas, a week before Christmas. Chloe had been busy bustling about cooking a large Christmas dinner while the prickly brunette sat at the end of the kitchen table, watching the woman from over her third cup of eggnog.

Chloe had sung the chorus at the top of her voice each time, looking directly at Beca each time with a massive grin before looking around at her fellow Bellas who had been singing with her. But rather than avoid Chloe’s gaze, Beca kept her focus on the redhead, her cheeks flushing slightly. Chloe hadn’t thought too much about it. She was used to Beca getting a bit flustered around her. It was because she was too forward and Beca was a bit too awkward.

## 2013

Chloe found herself and The Bellas at a karaoke bar on campus, the redhead drunkenly singing her most favourite Christmas song. And as with the previous years, Chloe found her eyes locked with Beca’s as she sang each of Mariah’s beautiful lyrics.

Because even though this was the third Christmas that she’d known Beca, she still had the  _hugest_  crush on her. And Chloe wasn’t sure exactly when Beca had begun warming to her ‘advances’, but the brunette didn’t grimace any more whenever Chloe slipped her arm around her shoulders or nudged her playfully with her elbow. In fact, recently Beca had started  _grinning_  whenever Chloe did.

It filled the woman with hope. And so this year she sang ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ with far more gusto than she ever had before, ever going as far as pointing at Beca amongst The Bellas in the small bar.

## 2014

Final Christmas at Barden, but that didn’t stop Chloe from adhering to one of her main traditions: singing Mariah Carey to Beca. This time the two co-captains had been sat around the kitchen table, trying to work out some rehearsal songs to warm their Bellas’ vocal chords up at the beginning of the session.

Chloe had taken the opportunity to belt out the opening to her favourite Christmas song. But the close proximity she had to Beca’s body - sat beside her at the table - meant that the redhead had become uncharacteristically nervous. And as such, Chloe stared down at the notebook they’d both been writing in.

By doing this though, she’d missed the way Beca had looked at her with a soft smile on her face. And the way the brunette had seemed to stop breathing - so overwhelmed with her newly realised romantic feelings for Chloe..

## 2015

After a busy and unpredictable year, Chloe stood by the tiny stove in the tiny studio apartment she shared with Beca and Fat Amy, pouring some fresh hot cocoa into two cups: one for her, one for Beca. The sound of Christmas music filtered into the room from the speakers of Beca’s laptop while the brunette lay on the fold-out bed.

Beca sat on the mattress, a soft smile on her face while her heart fluttered. She watched Chloe singing quietly to herself. Singing ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’. And Beca was certain she’d never heard anything more beautiful in her entire life.

Chloe still had a huge crush on Beca. Beca had a huge crush on Chloe. Unfortunately, neither woman was yet brave enough to brooch the subject with the other. So they remained as they were. As they had been the last few years: close friends and dependents.

## 2016

Chloe returned home to the small Brooklyn apartment from her internship, jumping as she bumped into her best friend. Nervous chuckles fell from both Beca and Chloe’s mouths as their bodies collided, and as they took a step back from each other, Beca cleared her throat awkwardly.

She motioned to the ceiling above them and Chloe peered up, her eyes widening as she noticed a clump of mistletoe hanging haphazardly by some string that had been stuck up with tape.

“I uh…” Beca began, before rambling with a mumble, “Alliwantforchristmasisyou.”

Chloe’s heart leapt into her throat as she looked down at her best friend. Her  _crush_. And she saw Beca blush, looking at her with a coy grin.

“What?” Chloe found herself asking, even though she’d unravelled what Beca had said in her head. Her heart racing with excitement.

“All I Want For Christmas…is you.” Beca said before letting out a heavy sigh and scrunching her face up, “Ugh that’s so cheesy. Sorry. I-I…I can come up with something bet-“

But Beca was given no opportunity to finish her sentence before Chloe surged forward and threw her lips onto the brunette’s mouth, kissing her firmly. The two women melted into one another, letting out sighs of relief through their noses while they wrapped their arms around each other and deepened the kiss.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to say that to you.” Beca mumbled against Chloe’s lips and the redhead chuckled.

“I’ve been singing it to you for six years.”

And they both grinned, looking into each other’s eyes. Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. This year she would sing it to Beca, and for the first time Beca would  _finally_  know that she meant every single word.


	2. Elf on the Shelf

Beca Mitchell didn’t get the whole ‘Elf On The Shelf’ obsession that December brought. It was a terrifying little toy that the woman was almost certain was like a less sinister answer to a Chucky Doll. And with that creepy toy, came her wife’s unnecessary stress.

It happened every year on November 30th. Beca would be woken up near Midnight by her wife who would suddenly freak out that she hadn’t yet fished the ‘Elf’ from within the depths of the dark loft at the top of their house. And every year, Beca would have to drag her tired body out of bed, trundle up to the dark loft, and try to find said Elf with her wife’s guidance. And every fucking year Beca would find it at the bottom of a box because it would scare the  _shit_  out of her!

But, true to the high expectations that the redhead always had for herself as a mother, Chloe Mitchell insisted on placing the family ‘Elf’ in as many different quirky positions in the house for their two young children. And though Beca deemed the seasonal ‘necessity’ entirely pointless, she loved her wife, so dutifully played along with the ‘excitement’ each morning their kids dashed downstairs to find out what antics the Elf had been up to.

Two days before The Mitchell’s seventh ‘Elf On The Shelf’ Christmas Day, Chloe came down with a cold. The worst cold Beca had ever seen her wife go down with. And as a consequence, Beca had to hold the household together alone.

Chloe had had to spend the day in bed, napping, while Beca took hourly visits up to the bedroom to check on the woman she loved - providing a cool compress for her forehead and fresh water. When she wasn’t upstairs tending to her wife, Beca was downstairs trying to keep their nine year old son and five year old daughter occupied - not so easy when the weather outside was so frightful and they were no longer of the age to be having afternoon naps (Beca missed those times).

Chloe had been awake the entire night, blowing her nose and sniffing. Beca had been up awake the entire night because her wife had kept tugging the bedcovers off then over her body while her temperature soared.

By the morning the brunette was like a zombie, traipsing down the stairs to make herself a coffee and her sick wife a cup of hot water with lemon and honey. But as she began heading for the staircase she froze.

She hadn’t arranged the fucking ‘Elf On The Shelf’!

Panicking somewhat that her poor kids would be somewhat devastated (and mostly concerned that they would have small meltdowns if ‘Elf’ wasn’t appropriately placed - thus disturbing their sick mother upstairs and really testing their Mama’s thin patience) Beca quickly placed the mugs down on the side and dashed into the lounge. Her eyes skipped about the room. She was certain the little thing had been left there yesterday - with an empty pot of glitter in its fucking hands because pre-sick Chloe the night before had thought it’d be amusing to sprinkle glitter everywhere.

But the Elf was nowhere to be seen!

The brunette dove to her hands and knees, searching beneath the Christmas tree, the couches and the armchair. Nothing.

She tugged her daughter’s crate from one side of the fireplace, tugging the lid off and pulling every toy out from within. No Elf could be found.

She dragged the arts and crafts box from by the window and emptied its contents. No Elf there either.

She peeked within the log-bucket by the fireplace. Then under all the couch cushions. She even looked between all the books in the bookcase.

The bloody Elf wasn’t there.

Beca decided to work her way through the house up to the bedroom - at least she’d be able to drop Chloe’s tea off and try to ask her where she’d last seen that freaky toy.

So the brunette pulled each coat from the coat hooks, checking the pockets before chucking them on the floor so she knew which ones she’d looked at. She bent down to look in each shoe neatly stacked in the shoe rack - the shoes that were also chucked on the floor. Then she grabbed the mugs and slowly headed upstairs, letting out a small tut when she realised a long line of tinsel had been caught on the base of her slipper. To save too much noise, Beca simply slid her slippers off, wincing from the cold that reached her toes, and she finally made it to the top of the stairs.

Fortunately the first door after the stairs was her and her wife’s bedroom, and the brunette quietly eased herself into the room, keeping the door open to utilise the light from the hallway that filtered into the dark bedroom. She winced as Chloe seemed to awaken at her arrival, and Beca felt a huge surge of guilt. She hadn’t wanted to disturb her.

Beca snuck around to Chloe’s side of the bed, placing the mug of hot water down on the small bedside table near her, and she looked down at her wife with a concerned expression. She heard a light groan fall from Chloe’s mouth.

“How you doing, babe?” Beca asked in a gentle voice. But just as she became adjusted to the darkness in the room, her eyes found their way to a small lump beneath Chloe’s arm.

“ _Is…is that the Elf_??” She whispered, perching on the edge of the bed.

Chloe let out a light grunt, taking in a deep breath through her nose and groggily drawing her attention down to the toy beside her, “Oh…uh…yeah.” she mumbled in a drowsy tone, “I got up in the night to get it. M’gonna put it downstairs for the kids in the morning.”

Beca swallowed loudly, an amused smile on her face. To think she’d been searching for that thing when it had technically been laying in bed beside her for most of the night, on the other side of her wife.

“It’s already morning babe…” Beca said in a quiet tone, reaching out to gently brush Chloe’s hair back from her face. Chloe let out a small hum followed by a whine.

“I dunno ‘f I can get up.” the redhead winced and Beca bent towards her to place a kiss on her wife’s clammy cheek.

“I’ll sort something out.” she replied, gently taking the freaky toy from her wife. Chloe didn’t put up a fight, instead letting out an exhausted heavy sigh with a groggy “Thhhhhanks babe.”

Beca stood up from the bed and snuck out of the bedroom. As she approached the top of the stairs she froze. Down in the hallway the place looked like it’d been raided. And that was when Beca decided, instead of clearing it all up, she’d just blame it on the Elf.

“Huh.” she muttered, looking down at the toy which still stared back at her with it’s shifty expression, “Looks like you have your uses after all.”

And the mother placed the toy on the stairs at the top of the long line of tinsel. The tinsel that led to the shrewn coats and shoes. That led to the wrecked lounge.

Beca let out a tired sigh. She needed to go back to bed for a bit. At least until her kids started demanding breakfast. And with one last suspicious glance at the ‘Elf On The Shelf’, Beca Mitchell headed back to her bedroom to tuck up with her poorly wife.

Fingers crossed today would be the final day of Chloe’s illness. Because Beca wasn’t sure she could manage Christmas Day without her.


	3. Baby's First Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abbie Beale's very first Christmas..

Beca Beale stood by the tall Christmas tree, swaying gently from side to side while remaining silent, looking down at the seven month old in her arms.  _Her_  seven month old.

Abbie had been born to her and Chloe on a beautiful warm Summer’s day back in Connecticut. And this Christmas, as with each of Beca and Chloe’s Christmasses over the past six years that they’d been together, the two were spending the week with Chloe’s parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, down at the family home.

The brunette had a soft smile on her face while she looked at her daughter’s blue eyes, the ones that were currently open, looking up at the Christmas tree, with it’s twinkling lights reflected in them. Seven months and Beca was still overcome with unconditional love and adoration for this little human. More love than she’d ever felt for anything or anyone before.

Abbie had awoken around 4am, grumbling quite loudly. And for the first time in a while, Chloe had been so exhausted, she hadn’t heard the baby. Beca, on the other hand, had. So she’d slipped out of the bed that she and Chloe always shared when they were here - in Chloe’s childhood bedroom - then crept over to the crib in the corner of the room.

Once she’d scooped her daughter out, Beca decided in order to not disturb her wife (who had been up far too many times in the night this week) she would take their baby downstairs. So downstairs she’d snuck, through the dark - Abbie now calm in her arms.

Beca’s ear’s pricked up when she heard the sound of floorboards creaking upstairs. Those footsteps slowly made their way down the stairs, and the brunette turned to see her father in law appear in the doorway to the lounge, a little drowsy looking, but with a kind smile on his face.

“Couldn’t sleep?” He asked in a quiet voice and Beca smiled back.

“More like she couldn’t.” She replied, nodding down at her daughter in her arms, who was still silently mesmerised by the lights, “And I didn’t want her to wake Chloe. Tomorrow’s a big day. I don’t want her feeling too tired.”

Beca watched as Jerry nodded in agreement, “Wise decision.”

In less than two hours time Jerry’s grandchildren - Chloe and Beca’s nieces and nephews - would be bounding into all the grownups bedrooms, waking them excitably for Christmas present opening in their grandparent’s bedroom. And Beca felt it necessary that her wife catch up on some well needed rest before that happened.

The brunette watched as the man stepped a little closer, looking down at his youngest grandchild affectionately.

“You know, Sue and I are really proud of you, Beca.”

Beca swallowed loudly, a tiny shy smile on her face. The Beale’s were an incredible family. They’d supported Beca far more than her own family ever had. Chloe’s parents had become like her own. Chloe’s big brothers had become like her own big brothers. And the woman had never felt as though she belonged in a family more than she did as a Beale.

“You’re a brilliant wife and a very attentive mother.” he added, looking up at Beca with a kind smile and the brunette’s smile grew while she shrugged slightly.

“Well it’s all down to your daughter.” She replied honestly, still swaying her baby in her arms, “Chloe’s been so kind and patient with me over the years. If I am a brilliant wife and attentive mother then it’s thanks to her.”

Beca looked back down at Abbie just as the little one’s nose scrunched up and the baby let out a little squeaky yawn. Her Mama sharply exhaled through her own nose, her way of letting out a silent chuckle, and the brunette grinned at her perfect baby.

“I think you’re more responsible for your personality than you think, Beca.” Jerry said in a kind tone, placing a supportive hand on his daughter-in-law’s shoulder before stepping away. “I’ve got to get some heartburn pills. See you in a couple of hours.”

Beca, who had been touched by Chloe’s father’s kind words, turned to look over at the man while he quietly made his way through to the kitchen. She smiled gently. The Beale’s: Forever supportive, forever kind. She and Abbie were  _very_  lucky indeed.

—

Twenty minutes later and Beca watched as her daughter’s eyes slowly drifted closed. The brunette smiled sweetly, always enjoying this time. It had been tricky to get close to Abbie in her earliest days because the baby had been so attached to Chloe. But as the months had rolled on and Abbie had become less dependent on Chloe for food, Beca and her daughter had become closer and closer.

Beca looked over at the door as she heard footsteps quietly creeping down the stairs and a calm smile washed over her face as she saw her wife appear in the doorway - her red hair sticking up in all sorts of angles, her arms wrapping her nightgown around her body.

“Okay?” Chloe asked in a tired tone, blinking slowly, still a little sleepy, and Beca nodded.

“ _Yeah_.” she whispered, watching while her wife slowly padded over to her, “ _She wasn’t settling and I didn’t want to disturb you_.”

A sleepy smile spread across Chloe’s face as she arrived by her wife’s side and smoothed an arm around her waist. The two mothers looked down at their baby who had finally fallen asleep again in her Mama’s arms.

“Merry Christmas Chlo.” Beca mumbled, looking up at her wife adoringly, and her heart fluttered slightly as she caught Chloe looking back at her.

“Merry Christmas babe.”

Mrs & Mrs Beale shared a gentle kiss on the lips, smiles on their faces as they parted slightly.

“Let’s go back to bed.” Chloe mumbled gently, and Beca hummed in agreement.

“Yeah, we cant have much longer until the little rascals all get up for present opening..”

And they both let out tiny chuckles while slowly making their way back upstairs to Chloe’s childhood bedroom.


	4. First Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe catches Beca in The Bellas house. Much to Beca's horror...

A huge yelp of pain rocketed through The Bellas house closely followed by rather frantic talking, all coming from the entrance hall of the sorority house.

Stacie, Cynthia Rose, and Flo - who  _had_  just been leaving Jessica and Ashley’s shared bedroom - dived downstairs to find out what was happening. They were closely followed by Jessica and Ashley themselves, who bumped into Flo at the back of the small group because the Guatemalan had had to stop behind Stacie and Cynthia Rose - both of whom having frozen on the stairs.

All five women looked down at the front door in horror. Chloe laid crumpled on the floor, her hands to her face which she moaned into - clearly in a lot of pain. Knelt by her side was Beca who, by the looks of her hat, scarf, gloves and coat, had just arrived home from her final class before the Christmas break. Beca was apologising over and over again, asking Chloe if she was okay. And Chloe kept mumbling that it was ‘alright’ in return.

“What the hell happened?!” came the familiar booming voice of Fat Amy, and all The Bellas on the stairs along with Beca, turned to see the Australian arrive with Lilly, in the doorway to the lounge. The blonde furrowed her brow, still completely perplexed why Chloe was now wincing, her hands still covering her face.

There was a look on Beca’s face that none of The Bellas had seen before in the year and a bit that they’d known her. The girl looked highly concerned - unusual for someone who was normally so laid back and disinterested in things. But as she turned back to Chloe, The Bellas heard an ounce of the real Beca. The part that the Captain must have been trying to hide. The part that  _cared_.

“Can someone  _please_  get an ice pack or something??” she cried out to the girls around her, tugging her gloves off. Nobody noticed that Lilly already had an ice pack in her hand ready, the quiet girl stepping forward and holding it out to Beca.

The brunette took it without really processing who had handed it to her, instead a little preoccupied with the heap that was her co-captain on the floor before her, “Ice.” she mumbled, reaching out for Chloe then not overly sure what she could touch so retracting her hand and pointing to the ice pack instead, “There’s an ice pack here Chloe. Come on.”

The Bellas all winced and let out gasps as Chloe brought her hands from her face to ease herself up. The redhead boasted an impressive swollen red and blue nose, with blood seemingly dripping from it now her hands were no longer blocking the way.

Beca, however, caught sight of the blood and suddenly the colour drained from her face as she held the ice pack out to Chloe, “H-Here…Here you g-go…” But before Chloe had a chance to hold the ice pack she took from Beca, up to her face, the redhead let out a light squeak of worry as Beca’s eyes rolled into the back of her head, and the girl fainted.

The Bellas all surged towards their captains, Fat Amy immediately chucking Beca into the recovery position as that was what she assumed was the best thing to do. Meanwhile, Stacie and Cynthia Rose tried to keep Chloe from diving on top of Beca, such was the redhead’s concern for her friend. They all knew Beca needed air in order to come round.

And come round the twenty year old did, when Jessica and Ashley produced a bag of smelling salts each, wafting them under Beca’s nose. By that time, Chloe had finally settled and was willingly allowing an ice pack on her face to try to bring the swelling of her nose down a bit.

“C-Chloe?” was the first thing to fall from the brunette’s mouth as she’d stirred, her eyes flickering open, looking around at the occupants of the entrance hall of their house. At her friends.

“M’okay Beca.” came Chloe’s response, the girl sat on an armchair in the lounge that had been dragged to the doorway so she could keep her eyes on Beca while their friends tended to the two of them.

Beca winced as she eased herself up to her feet, holding a hand up to Fat Amy who was trying to advise her not to stand too quickly. It was a little too late, the brunette already on her feet and slowly wandering towards Chloe.

“Sure you’re okay?” Beca mumbled, blinking a little, trying to stop her head from swimming a bit as she stopped before her friend and Chloe smiled gently, the ice pack still on her nose.

“Yeah Beca, nothing to worry about.”

“But…I  _punched_  you.”

The revelation of what had happened had The Bellas around them gasping. All looked confused while they turned to look from Chloe’s face to Beca’s concerned expression. Cynthia Rose and Flo automatically stepped in front of Chloe, to try to block her from Beca, protectively.

“Girls, it was  _my_  fault.” Chloe tried to explain, sticking her hand between Flo and Cynthia Rose’s hips so she could ease them to the sides, but it only served for the two Bellas to fold their arms defensively.

“That’s what all victims say, Chloe.” Cynthia Rose insisted, looking sternly at Beca, “They always blame themselves.”

“Girls, I was the one who jumped out at her.” Chloe confessed, and the two Bellas ‘protecting’ her hesitated before stepping aside to look at the redhead while she continued, “There’s mistletoe over the door and I thought I’d try and catch Beca as she got in from class.”

All nine Bellas looked over at the mistletoe that Stacie had stuck above the front door earlier that day. There was no way Beca would’ve known about it. And slowly the results of Chloe’s ‘ambush’ was beginning to make sense. Because Beca was known for having taken a mixture of martial arts, wrestling, and boxing classes as a kid - having grown up with three older brothers. Which meant the girl was always ‘ready’ for some sort of ‘attack’.

“I-I didn’t mean to punch her.  _Honest_.” Beca tried to plead, and her friends all looked at her somewhat sympathetically while the brunette remained focussing her concern on the girl before her in the armchair.

“It’s okay, Beca.” Chloe mumbled in a sweet tone, “Hopefully the swelling will go down before I go home for Christmas in a couple of days.”

And if Beca hadn’t felt guilty enough, with Chloe’s aired hope she felt a million times worse..

**— Two Hours Later —**

Chloe stood before the long mirror in her bedroom, wincing slightly as she brought her fingers to the length of her nose and touched it lightly. God it was painful. But then love hurt. And while repercussions of going to kiss Beca under the mistletoe hadn’t  _quite_  been as she’d planned, Chloe was pleased with herself for at least trying.

The crush she’d had on Beca this past year and a bit since the brunette had joined The Bellas had been somewhat torturous. So no sooner had Chloe found out about Stacie’s mistletoe, she’d been on the lookout through her bedroom window for Beca’s return. Unfortunately all she’d been left with was no kiss and a bloodied nose.

But Chloe, ever the optimist, decided that it would end up just becoming a funny story that she and Beca would end up telling their children and grandchildren, when they eventually  _did_  get together.

Suddenly a light knocking was heard at her bedroom door.

“Come in!” Chloe called out but after a moments pause, the door remained closed. The redhead furrowed her brow and made her way over to it to see who was there. To her surprise she saw Beca stood sheepishly outside her door.

“Hey, uh…” Beca said somewhat nervously, and a small smile swept across Chloe’s face. She’d already forgotten about the state of her appearance until she saw Beca look specifically at her nose with a wince. “I-I’m really sorry I punched you.”

“It’s okay, Beca.” Chloe assured for what felt like the millionth time that evening, but Beca still didn’t seem to accept her forgiveness.

“It’s not okay. Me and my dumb reflexes..” she muttered, clearly annoyed with herself.

Chloe had to admit, she loved it when Beca was like this. All coy and awkward. She wished Beca was a little more snuggly. Would accept hugs or would provide hugs as a form of comfort. But Chloe conceded she’d probably have to work on her favourite prickly alt girl for a couple more years.

“I uh…I wanted to make it up to you.” Beca said in a quiet tone, then motioned her head up.

Chloe glanced up with a furrowed brow. A furrowed brow that quickly unfurrowed when she caught a glimpse of the very mistletoe that had been stuck up over the front door of the house earlier. It was now stuck above her bedroom door instead. Perfectly above her and Beca. And the redhead quickly snapped her attention back to her co-captain.

“You don’t have to-“ Chloe began, fully aware that this was far from anything Beca would want to do. But Beca looked back at her seriously, almost  _determined_.

“-No it’s alright, dude.” She insisted before shrugging, “It’s the rules of mistletoe, right?”

There was a long pause while the two girls looked into one another’s eyes. It was the most intense interaction Chloe had had with her friend since their earliest days, when Chloe had first asked Beca to join The Bellas. Fifteen months ago.

Chloe’s heart rammed against her chest while she watched Beca let out a sharp heavy exhale. The brunette took a step closer, then slowly reached up to gently cup Chloe’s cheeks. And Chloe thought she was going to pass out herself right there and then. Because this was fast becoming one of her dreams. A dream coming true.

She noticed Beca’s eyes flutter closed while Beca’s face slowly approached hers. So Chloe closed her eyes slowly too, her hands automatically reaching for Beca’s waist.

Then suddenly Beca and Chloe shared their first kiss. Beneath the mistletoe. On their very first Christmas shared in The Bellas house.

Chloe’s body went numb, the throbbing pain she’d had from her nose falling to the back of her mind. Because she was kissing Beca! Beca was kissing her!  _Finally_! And the redhead allowed a tear to slip from the corner of her eye, the kiss continuing.

At some point, and Chloe wasn’t sure when, their kiss deepened, their mouths parting much more, allowing tongues to slip into one another’s mouths. And Chloe felt as though she was melting into Beca’s arms. This was already the best kiss of her life. And if she could spend the rest of her life kissing Beca then she would.

But as with any good thing, the kiss gradually came to an end. The two co-captains broke their lips apart with content sighs. Neither smiled when they eventually opened their eyes - both so shocked at how amazing that kiss had felt.

“Now  _that_  was a hot mistletoe kiss.”

Beca and Chloe jumped at the sound of Stacie’s amused tone, turning to see the leggy brunette leaning on her own bedroom door, a teasing grin on her face. Chloe let a coy smile grace her face while Beca went bright red in embarrassment, her hands dropping from Chloe’s neck where they’d ended up.

To their surprise, ‘hmms’ of agreement sounded from behind Beca and the two co-captains turned to see Cynthia Rose, Flo, Jessica and Ashley stood on the stairs looking up at them with grins on their faces.

“ _Oh God_.” Beca mumbled under her breath, turning to hang her head near Chloe’s body - choosing the redhead as the safest person to be embarrassed around.

Chloe removed her hands from her friend’s waist and let out an amused chuckle. Again, she loved Beca like this. And the sensual kiss they’d just shared gave her hope that their coming years could become very eventful indeed. Very hopeful.

“ _You can go to your room if you want_.” she whispered kindly, and Beca looked up at her gratefully.

“Thanks.”

Just as Beca turned, making her way over to the stairs that would lead to the attic bedroom she shared with Fat Amy, Chloe’s ears picked up Stacie declaring loudly, “My turn next Chloe. Get ready.”

And to all The Bellas delights, they watched as Beca turned on the spot, dashed back towards Chloe’s bedroom, and leapt up. The petite brunette impressively grabbed the mistletoe (that it turned out she’d got Stacie to stick up above Chloe’s door for her), pulled it down, then landed expertly, looking at Stacie seriously:

“Chloe’s my mistletoe kiss. Go find your own.”

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth while she watched Beca glance at her awkwardly, then make her way to her own bedroom. She couldn’t help the coy smile on her face. Beca had ‘fought’ for her. Had ‘fought’ to be exclusively  _her_  mistletoe kiss. And as Chloe returned to her own bedroom she felt as though she was on cloud nine.

This was fast becoming her best Christmas ever


	5. Bumble's First Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the '9 Months' Universe - baby Bree 'Bumble' Beale-Mitchell's first Christmas Eve..

Chloe Beale let out a sharpe exhale of breath as she strode through the doors of the Brooklyn apartment block she lived in. It’d been seven weeks since she’d given birth. Seven weeks since she and Beca had decided to give a romantic relationship a go.

And since then, Chloe had kinda felt as though she were living in some sort of romantic fiction, whereby she’d not only got the girl in the end but that she’d also started raising a little family with this girl. The love of her life. And their little family was Chloe’s daughter, ‘Bree’ - the result of a one night stand Chloe had all but forgotten about since Beca had suggested they raise her baby together.

The redhead had been advised by her girlfriend to take as long as she needed to herself. To get out of the apartment for a bit. Perhaps even do a bit of Christmas shopping - though Chloe insisted no shopping was necessary because she had so few people to buy for.

But Chloe had done as she’d been told and actually felt quite refreshed for the hour she’d taken walking down to the local market area in their neighbourhood to look around. Beca had always been one to keep an eye out for her. To ensure her mental health stayed intact during these cold dark winter weeks. And Chloe was always grateful.

The woman made her way up the tall stairwell to get to her floor, highly eager to see her baby girl. She hadn’t really had any time away from Bree since she’d been born. And even though it’d only been an hour, Chloe had found the time more than enough. She now yearned to see her baby again. To be able to hold her. And she hoped her girlfriend hadn’t struggled too much while she’d been out - Bree was very much a Mommy’s girl..

To her surprise though, as Chloe opened the door to the small studio apartment, she was met by low lighting - coming only from the small Christmas tree between Amy’s clothing rail and Beca’s side of the bed. The small Christmas tree that Beca had kindly put up at the beginning of December, and that Chloe had found great joy in decorating shortly after while Beca had cuddled Bree.

Chloe’s heart warmed as she saw her girlfriend, knelt over their baby girl, with her hands holding her upper body up, either side of Bree’s legs. And the seven week old was laid before her, busy looking up at the baubles hanging just above her head on the lower branches of the little tree. To the redhead’s joy, a broad smile was on her little girl’s face while the baby wiggled her arms and legs excitably.

Beca looked up and over at Chloe with a calm smile, “Turns out she loves your decorations.”

“So I see.” Chloe said in a quiet tone, letting out a light chuckle while she slipped her coat from around her body before wandering the few paces it took to join her girlfriend and baby daughter. “Cheap to keep.” she added in a soft amused tone.

The two women knelt side by side with soft smiles as Bree continued to look up at the baubles, the baby sometimes breathing intensely such was her excitement by the new entertainment. Chloe often felt guilty they couldn’t afford a lot of toys for her. But then she also felt guilty that they didn’t have much room to be able to store the toys she  _did_  have. Not having a job or job prospects had its challenges.

“Give it a year, babe.” Beca said in a calm tone, and Chloe looked to her girlfriend who was smiling at her kindly, clearly having read her expression to know she was worrying, “We’ll have found some place bigger by then.”

Chloe took a deep breath, a calmer smile washing over her face, and she relaxed a little when Beca smoothed her palm across her back. If Beca believed they would be okay then Chloe believed it too.

It was just such a struggle sometimes with Amy living with them too. In this tiny studio apartment. In fairness, Amy wasn’t always in - particularly as Bree wasn’t much of a settled sleeper overnight. But her stuff was here, potentially taking up valuable space that they could use to store Bree’s things a little better. And it just stressed Chloe out from time to time.

Suddenly the two mothers snapped their attention from each other down to their little girl as they heard a tiny ‘ _donk_ ’ closely followed by Bree’s wail. A bauble had fallen the inch it took from it’s branch down onto the baby’s forehead. Beca immediately swooped down to pick their daughter up and comfort her while Chloe immediately rose to her feet to perch on the edge of their bed, pulling her jumper off over her head and her lighter top down to unclip part of her bra.

Within seconds Bree was in Chloe’s arms, suckling merrily on some milk while her Mama sat on a kitchen chair nearby with a sigh of relief, “That was a close one.”

And Chloe smiled up at her girlfriend. They were both certain that immediately trying to comfort their baby with boob was probably not a wise decision, but it seemed to work. And the two mothers were so often exhausted, that if it were an easy way to comfort their baby, they’d do it. No question. They didn’t have anyone else around to tell them otherwise.

“I can’t wait for us to have our very first Christmas all together tomorrow.” Chloe mumbled sweetly, looking down at her baby in her arms. And Beca smiled.

Tomorrow was a big day. Not only was it going to be their very first Christmas, but Beca had every intention of proposing to her girlfriend tomorrow too. That was what she’d been chatting to Bree about while Chloe had been out. And the baby had seemed thrilled (at least, Beca thought she had) about the prospect of her Mommy and Mama getting engaged - even if many  _would_  deem seven weeks a very short time to have been together pre-engagement.

“Me either, babe.” Beca mumbled in reply, a soft smile on her face. She rose to her feet and joined her little family at the edge of the bed, placing an arm around Chloe’s waist while peering down at their feeding baby.

They may not have had much money between them. They may not have had the most ideal of living situations at the moment, particularly with a very young baby. But they’d managed so far. And they’d continue to manage. Because they had each other.


	6. Mall Elf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca hires 'Mistletoe The Mall Elf' to help her pick a present out for her crush...

“So what are the things this girl, like, likes?”

Beca sucked in a nervous breath through her teeth while slowly wandering through the centre of the mall. Walking alongside her was ‘Mistletoe the Mall Elf’ - a money making scheme by the mall bosses that offered an ‘Elf Shopper’ to help pick out gifts for those who  _really_ didn’t like Christmas shopping. And although Beca Mitchell hated drawing attention to herself, she hated Christmas shopping more. Which meant having to draw attention to herself by utilising this ‘Christmas service’ that the mall had going on this year.

“Well, she uh…” Beca paused. What  _was_  it about Chloe she liked most? “She’s really beautiful? And she always puts a positive spin on things. And she’s always supported me-“

“-Not to be rude but I don’t need to know what  _you_  like about her…” the Mall Elf interrupted and Beca raised her eyebrows. Wow. Yeah, she supposed she’d been so embarrassed walking around with an actual Mall Elf she’d not concentrated much on the original question.

“Oh. Right. Ummm…” Beca stuffed her hands in her pockets, feeling somewhat vulnerable. She hadn’t ever had to describe things about Chloe before. She’d noticed stuff, sure. But hadn’t had to voice that stuff. “She loves the colour blue. Like a turquoise blue? She’s really into animals. Any kind of animals. But mostly puppies, and Tigers. She loves stationary and baking and-“

“Beca?”

Beca stopped in her tracks, the colour draining from her face as she saw Chloe approaching her with a curious smile on her face, and in a freak moment of panic the brunette shoved the Mall Elf as hard as possible through a store door to her right. She hoped Chloe hadn’t noticed. She hoped her best friend might have thought it a coincidence that the Mall Elf had been stood near her just now.

But as Chloe stopped before her, Beca already knew the redhead had sussed it.

“Are you Christmas Shopping?” Chloe asked, and Beca swallowed loudly, her mouth going dry. Shit.

“Uh…No.”

“Uhuh?” Chloe mumbled in an amused tone, her curious smile changing to a suspicious expression, “So that’s not the Mall Elf you just shoved through that door?”

Beca turned in the direction that Chloe was pointing to see the Mall Elf hiding behind a tall book-stand.  _Poorly_  hiding - such was its ridiculous outfit.

“No?” Beca said, hoping it was enough to get Chloe off her back. To her dismay, Chloe seemed a little put out.

“I asked if you wanted me to help you with your shopping and you said no.”

Beca’s stomach twisted with nerves. The reason she’d enlisted the Elf’s help instead of Chloe’s was because she was trying to buy some Christmas gifts  _for_  Chloe. Something that would show her how much she meant to her. Something that would hint to Chloe that Beca really had a thing for her.

“I know. I just…” Beca was beginning to panic again. God, she couldn’t tell Chloe she was trying to buy her a present. And really nice present. Everyone knew if a Mall Elf was involved then the presents being bought were something special.

“I’m on a date!” she blurted, then immediately felt her chest tighten. Why the hell had she said that?! A  _date_? With a  _Mall Elf_??

“Oh.” Chloe replied, her eyebrows rising in surprise and her smile noticeably dropping.

“Yeah.” Beca confirmed, scratching the back of her head awkwardly, looking over at ‘Mistletoe’ who was staring at her with as much confusion as Beca’s mind felt. “Yeah we um…this is our first date.”

Beca saw Chloe looking over at the Mall Elf and the brunette decided to beckon ‘Mistletoe’ over, hating every step that the stranger took when doing as told. Chloe. It was  _Chloe_  she wanted to date for real, not this Mall Elf she wanted to pretend to date!

Chloe brought her hand out to awkwardly shake the Elf’s hand, putting on her signature ‘Beale Smile’ while shaking it, “Hi I’m Chloe.”

“No way.” The other girl said with a surprised look on her face, ”My name’s Chloe too.”

Beca felt her cheeks flush pink in embarrassment when she saw  _her_ Chloe’s eyebrows raise in surprise.. What were the chances of this person also being called Chloe? To Beca there was only ever one Chloe.

“Wow. What a small world.”

Beca watched as Chloe seemed to look at the two of them with a disappointed expression and Beca’s heart broke. Clearly her Chloe was disappointed that Beca hadn’t told her about dating this Mall Elf. And the reason for that was because Beca  _wasn’t_  dating this Mall Elf!

“I guess I’d better leave you two to it.” Chloe added in a quiet tone and Beca swallowed loudly. She felt awful. The redhead slowly walked away leaving Beca and her Mall Elf watching.

“Okay.” ‘Mistletoe’ said confidently, “I think I know exactly what you can get her.”

And Beca furrowed her brow as the elf began wandering off ahead of her. She had no idea how the girl knew that  _her_  Chloe was the girl she was out buying presents for. But she chose not to dwell on it, and simply shrugged to herself before speeding up after the Elf.

Whatever this gift was, she hoped it’d be enough for Chloe to forgive her. For Chloe to see how much she meant to her.

Because Chloe meant the world to Beca.


	7. Christmas Miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Estranged childhood friends, Beca and Chloe, get caught up in the drama surrounding their High School's Christmas show...

Beca wandered down the empty school corridor, her rucksack over her shoulder while a Christmas song rolled around in her head. Rehearsals for the school Christmas Nativity Show didn’t normally last this late, but then Beca always did have a habit of hanging around after to do extra work on the soundboard.

Suddenly, as she rounded the corner, she stopped in her tracks, her eyes honing in on the familiar figure of Barden High’s most popular girl - Chloe Beale. Chloe Beale who had been her best friend when they’d been kids. Chloe Beale who was now some sort of weird enigma to her.

When they’d first met at four years old, they’d promised one another they’d be best friends forever. And they had been. As close as close could be. All until High School.

Beca had become somewhat reclusive, not enjoying the large school and hundreds of students she had to share it with every day. In time she focussed her attention on remixing music during music classes, and drawing what  _she_  wanted to draw during art classes. She continued to have few friends over the years, keeping herself to herself. And all the while, drew further and further from the friendship she’d once treasured as a child.

Chloe’s beauty and eye for fashion, meanwhile, had quickly shot her up the social ladder to the point that, now they were sixteen, she was deemed as one of the most popular and influential girls in the school. The girls in school idolised her. The boys in school fancied the crap out of her. And Beca was left with no choice but to watch longingly from a distance. Longing to be close to the girl she’d once known. Longing to be close to the pretty girl she’d kinda crushed on for years.

And that pretty girl was currently sobbing with her head in her locker. Beca’s stomach knotted. She wasn’t keen on people crying. Didn’t know how to handle them. But this was Chloe. And for however distant they’d become, Beca still deeply cared about her estranged best friend.

So with a deep breath she slowly, quietly approached the redhead.

“Hey.” She said in a soft tone, hoping not to startle the teen, but Chloe jumped, sniffing loudly before glancing over at her company.

The redhead swiped the tears from her cheeks, forcing a smile onto her face. But the second she realised it was Beca, she seemed to relax a little.

“Oh. Hey.” Chloe replied, clearing her throat nervously, “I-I was just collecting my things.”

Beca watched cautiously while the girl before her turned back to her locker, slipping some books into her bag.

“Are you okay?” she asked, and Chloe nodded with a light “Uhuh!” which didn’t really work on Beca. She knew Chloe wasn’t okay. It didn’t take a genius to see that.

“It’s just…you’re crying.” Beca added, caution still to her tone. And she watched as Chloe paused her efforts to let out a heavy sigh, hanging her head.

“Chad’s pulled out of the show. Some bullshit about the role not being manly enough or something.”

Beca’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. Chad Samson, Chloe’s boyfriend and the school’s star football jock, had landed the role of ‘Joseph’ in Barden High’s reimagining of the Nativity Story. Sure, the dude hadn’t exactly been to every rehearsal, but he’d seemed to pull it off okay when he had. And Chloe was rightfully playing ‘Mary’, the girl having the most beautiful singing voice anyone had ever heard (or so Beca firmly believed).

“But…he’s  _Joseph_! Like, it’s the most manly role there is to offer!”

“Yeah, well, not manly enough it seems.” Chloe replied in a disappointed tone, “So the show is screwed. Two days until the first performance and there’s no Joseph.”

The two teens stood in silence while they let it all sink in. They and the rest of the dramatic arts group had worked tirelessly over the past couple of months after school to try to bring this show to life. Chad had insisted there didn’t need to be an understudy for Joseph - mostly because he didn’t want anyone but himself to share an on-stage kiss with his girlfriend. Now there was nobody who could possibly fill his place. Mr Jacobs, their flamboyant drama teacher, was going to be devastated.

Beca brought her hand up to Chloe’s shoulder and gripped it gently, causing Chloe’s bright blue eyes to draw themselves up to meet Beca’s. This was the first time they’d held eye contact like this in years. And with it, Beca made a firm decision. Something that could potentially change the course of their future forever.

“Everything’s gonna be okay, Chlo.” Beca assured in a kind tone, and even though Chloe had absolutely no way of seeing how it could  _possibly_  be okay, to hear Beca say it so confidently had the redhead believing that somehow it would be.

——

Mr Jacobs clapped his hands wildly to draw the attention of the teen’s sat before him. A day before their opening performance. And while the drop-out of his lead actor yesterday had been crushing, today was a new day, with some very exciting news indeed.

“My beauties, a Christmas Miracle has been bestowed upon us!”

The teen’s all looked to one another in confusion. Most had heard by now about the grim reality that Chad had left the show. But none of them knew what this ‘Christmas Miracle’ could be. Not even Chloe, the lead actress.

“Chloe, could you please join me up here?”

Chloe slowly rose to her feet, her brow furrowed slightly as she took her time making her way over to the stage to join the dramatic arts teacher. He grinned excitably at her, then turned to the rest of the group, letting out a huge exhale of air.

“We have been blessed with a new Joseph who not only knows all the lines, but also has an incredible singing voice to boot.”

Again, the blank faces of the students before him shone out. But Mr Jacobs simply let out a small squeal of delight, beaming at one particular individual sat at the front with their cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment. He threw his hand out, motioning down into the seated group.

“Beca if you could join me and Chloe on stage please.”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open in surprise as her estranged best friend sheepishly made her way up to the other side of their teacher. The redhead’s heart hammered against her chest. What was Beca doing?? She hated public speaking or being the centre of attention. She hated performing. And as far as Chloe was aware Beca hadn’t sung since they’d been kids!

Mr Jacobs took Beca and Chloe’s hands and grinned excitably at them both before looking out at the confused students before him, “Beca will be the Joseph to Chloe’s Mary!”

“She isn’t a guy, sir.” Sports-nerd Aubrey Posen piped up, but Mr Jacobs simply let out a sigh, rolling his eyes.

“And the angel Gabriel was, yet you’re still playing that role, right?”

Aubrey seemed to quieten at that particular observation and the teacher gave a curt nod as if to say ‘I thought so’.

“Listen people, the plan for this show was to always provide something that would challenge the audience. What better than having two females as the lead roles?”

——

Twenty minutes later and Beca was stood on stage beside Chloe ready to perform ‘ _Mary & Joseph’s Duet_’. The brunette smiled awkwardly at Chloe while Chloe looked back at her with a grateful expression.

“You’re sure you’re okay with all this?” Chloe asked in a low voice, relieved their mics weren’t on yet, and Beca just shrugged in her usual ‘Beca manner’.

“You may have forgotten, but we made a promise twelve years ago to always be best friends. And to me that means doing anything for you. Even throwing myself on stage last minute to play your love interest in front of hundreds of people.”

Chloe tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, a coy smile on her face. Her eyes were locked with Beca’s while her heart skipped a happy beat. She wasn’t sure what had happened in recent years to tear them apart. But she was relieved to be back with Beca again, even if it  _was_  on stage in front of other people.

“Okay, Beca? Chloe? Starting positions please.” came the order from Mr Jacobs and the two sixteen year olds took a shaky breath, smiles on their faces while they stood before one another and took each other’s hands.

They had three nights of performing this song to the public, as well as an on-stage kiss that they both secretly looked forward to. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.


	8. Unexpected Christmas Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunk Chloe texts Beca over Christmas..

Beca tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, grinning broadly. It was 11pm on Christmas Eve. And she had been at her father’s, ready to spend Christmas with him, her step mother and her step brothers. But after three hours there and two fairly large arguments, Beca had already decided that spending Christmas in Atlanta had been a bad move.

Now she stood outside the door to her Brooklyn apartment, her heart thumping against her chest she was so excited. She hadn’t told Chloe she was coming back. She wanted to surprise her.

The brunette quietly slid her key into the key hole, and silently opened the door, creeping inside. Her eyes caught the calm lights from the Christmas tree, and Beca’s broad grin softened when she saw the body of her best friend sprawled out in a starfish shape within the small fold out bed that was their own. She looked over to see Fat Amy sat up in her own bed, looking over at her in confusion while her face was lit by her phone.

“Thought you weren’t back until Friday.” the Australian said in a quiet tone, and Beca just grinned, gently placing her luggage on the ground by the door before nipping across the tiny apartment to speak to Amy.

“ _Yeah that was the plan until I had an argument with my dad and decided Christmas with you guys would be way better._ ” she whispered, glancing round the Christmas tree with a soft smile as she saw Chloe still sleeping soundly in the fold-out bed.

“You mean Christmas with Chloe…”

Beca wasn’t one for getting embarrassed, but her smile dipped to a coy one as she looked back over at the blonde who was grinning knowingly at her.

“You know she has a huge toner for you, right?”

And Beca’s smile grew, drawing her phone from her pocket, mumbling “Yeah, I gathered from the messages she sent me tonight.” while she looked down at the device.

“I got her drunk.” Amy said proudly, “She was just wallowing in how much she missed you anyway. The only answer was to ply her with wine and stick her in front of Love Actually.”

Beca rolled her eyes, looking back up at the woman, hardly surprised that that had been Amy’s method of comforting what sounded like a rather inconsolable Chloe. Beca had had her suspicions for a while now - that Chloe liked her as more than a friend.

“So are you gonna tell her you have a toner for her too?”

For the second time in a matter of minutes Beca bit her bottom lip. She looked over at the fold-out bed. At the way Chloe’s chest gently rose and fell with each breath she took while she slept. It would be tempting to wake her and tell her everything. Exactly how she felt about her. But Beca knew Chloe better than anyone. And she knew a passed out Chloe was almost incoherent, and certainly didn’t tend to remember things from the night before.

So the brunette scrunched her nose up and shook her head, “Nah.” she said, turning back to Amy, “I’ll wait until the morning.”

Amy’s face appeared to light up, thrilled at the prospect that she may finally get to see something she’d wanted to have happen for several years now: Beca and Chloe were  _finally_  going to admit that they were in love with each other!

Beca grinned, then quietly crept around to pee before cleaning her teeth then slipping her pyjamas on after tugging them from her luggage. She glanced from the bed which Chloe was still sprawled out in, down to her phone in her hands. She found Chloe’s messages from tonight and re-read them with a soft smile on her face:

**[1923] Cant believe you’ve only been gone 10hrs ♥ x**

**[1924] Hope you have a lovely time away at your Dad’s though ♥ x**

**[2001] I didn’t get a chance to give you your gift before you left :O #worstbestieever x**

**[2008] Me and Amy are drinking wine ;P jealous?? xx**

**[2058] Qm drunj xxzzxc**

**[2058] DRONK!! Xxccxzxzzx**

**[2059] DRUNK!**

**[2100] ;)**

**[2113] Beca I misd yoooooiiioou :(**

**[2114] And I’m in live with yoi :)**

**[2115] And I jnow I shoulfnt text it**

**[2115] But I doooooooioiooo ♥**

**[2116] So im love witg you ♥**

**[2122] Likr if I couls do this I woulf xx**

**[2124]**

[Originally posted by romantickisses](https://tmblr.co/ZPTxJf2ICFA5a)

**[2128] I LOVE YOU BECA MITCHELL**

**[2150] Beca?**

**[2150] Are ypu mad witj me? :|**

**[2152] m stipod**

**[2153] sorry :(**

**[2201] nifht ♥ love uou xxx**

**[2202] but not too much!**

**[2203] (pls like me xxx)**

Beca grinned. She’d been on the plane when these messages had been sent. By the time they came through to her she’d just been getting off the plane at JFK. And they’d filled her with hope.

Now she was stood on her side of the bed, ready to gently coax her requited crush over so she had room to slip beneath their bedcovers. The brunette decided to send the one text as a reply to her best friend, with the intention of Chloe seeing it in the morning:

**[0016] I’m in love with you too, weirdo ;) looking forward to seeing you to tell you in person ♥**

**[0016] ps I’ve just got home and you’re hogging all the bed :0 good job I love you, huh? ♥**

With a content sigh, Beca placed her phone on charge, then peeled back the bed covers. Chloe, despite being drunk, curled into a small ball as the chill hit her, causing a soft smile to sweep across Beca’s face.

The brunette edged her way into the bed, gently rolling her best friend so Chloe turned on her side away from her. Then Beca pulled the bedcovers over their bodies again, before slipping her arm around Chloe’s waist, being the big spoon - their usual bedtime position to fall asleep in.

“Mmbeca?” Chloe mumbled drowsily, and Beca smiled as her eyes drifted closed.

“Yeah Chlo, I’ve come home for Christmas.”

The apartment felt silent and Beca held her breath, awaiting a confused response or for Chloe to glance at her phone to check the time. But within seconds she heard the redhead breathing heavily - clearly asleep once again.

So Beca tucked a little tighter into Chloe, pleased to be reunited with her. Pleased to have finally told her how she felt and to know the woman felt the same way about her.

And with a heavy content sigh Beca fell into a deep sleep, looking forward to the morning rolling around and Chloe’s inevitable excitement at her unexpected gift: Beca.


	9. Christmas Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca and Chloe bring home their first Christmas tree to the small studio apartment..

Beca and Chloe tumbled through the door of their Brooklyn apartment with heavy sighs, both out of breath having carried a relatively large Christmas tree up the five flights of stairs it took to get to their floor.

Beca dropped the top of the tree, letting it land on the floor with a thud, and she let out a groan while stretching her arms, “See, we  _definitely_ couldn’t have managed a larger tree, Chlo!”

But Chloe stood with her brow furrowed, still holding the base of the netted tree, “Uh, can you  _not_  treat the tree like a piece of garbage?”

Beca paused, looking at Chloe with an unimpressed expression, “It’s a tree.”

“Yeah but it’s our  _first_  tree!” Chloe insisted, struggling to work out why Beca was being such a grinch. Christmas tree picking was supposed to be exciting! “Now help me move it to the designated corner.” she ordered.

Beca let out a heavy sigh, rolling her eyes before reluctantly slinking back over to her end of the tree.

“You owe me.” She muttered as she bent down to pick the tree up and she could almost  _feel_  Chloe’s eyes light up at the comment.

“Oh don’t you worry..” Chloe replied in a sultry tone that had a light tingle of desire wash over Beca’s body, “..you’ll  _definitely_  be rewarded.”

The brunette looked over her shoulder to see the woman giving her ‘the look’, and Beca cocked her eyebrow with a small grin. The atmosphere in the room had made a  _very_  sudden change.

“Oh yeah?” she asked curiously, “And what would that entail?”

They slowly shuffled in the small studio apartment, attempting to get the tree over to the space Chloe had cleared for it that morning.

“The stuff you love.” Chloe replied enticingly, and Beca’s mouth hung open while continuing to look out ahead of her, at the back of Chloe’s head while the woman approached the space. The drop zone. The target.

There were a  _lot_  of things she loved. All things that Chloe did to her. In bed. On the bed. Out of bed. Under the shower.  _With_  the shower. Against the kitchen units. On the kitchen table.. Their studio apartment might be small, but they were able to accommodate it’s restrictions.

“Uh…like?” Beca dared to probe, hoping she was reading Chloe’s body language and tone properly. Chloe seemed to shrug casually, but Beca could tell by her tone she was getting excited.

“Like your favourite position. While I wear that thing you’re always asking me to wear. Pounding will probably be involved. And Christmas hickeys…”

Beca’s mouth had gone dry, her eyes flickering over to her bedside draw, the knowledge of said ‘ _thing_ ’ being tucked safely away inside it. Chloe had used it twice in the past year, then had complained of cramp. So further suggestions of using it had led to Chloe quickly saying no. But today seemed to be different. And it was all thanks to this bloody tree. Hooray for the tree and Beca Mitchell’s inability to say no to Chloe Beale!

The two women heaved the netted tree upright. But just as Chloe was about to open her mouth to suggest that they cut the net and free the tree, she let out a light squeak followed by a chuckle.

Because Beca threw herself at Chloe, immediately throwing her arms around her, holding her tight and kissing her hard on the lips. A kiss that immediately deepened once Chloe slipped her tongue into Beca’s mouth.

They parted briefly, gasping lightly and breathing heavily as Beca mumbled against Chloe’s lips, “Do tree later?”

And Chloe grinned against the brunette’s mouth, her fingers already working open the buttons on her girlfriend’s top.

“ _Definitely_.” She whispered before throwing her lips back onto Beca’s to resume their heavy kiss.


	10. Snowed In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca and Chloe get snowed in at the radio station on campus..

Chloe’s heart plummeted as she pushed the door of the radio station, expecting it to open so she could begin the cold trudge to the bus stop in the snow. But to her confusion the door didn’t budge. She continued to push, eventually forcing all of her body weight against the door frame, to no avail.

The redhead peered out of the windows to see the snow still falling at a quick rate, the snowflakes lit by the lamps that lined the path away from the campus radio station she was currently stood in. No, currently  _trapped_  in.

The senior looked down at her watch and began to panic. She was due to meet her date in an hour. What was she going to do??

—

Beca noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, and peered over to the door of her booth. The second her eyes landed on Chloe, she furrowed her brow, bringing her hands up to her headphones and tugging them down from her ears.

“You forget something?”

Beca and Chloe hadn’t known each other too long compared to many other friendships. But in the four months since first meeting, the two had found themselves drawn to one another. Whether it be a shared look across an occupied room. Or bumping into one another on campus. Beca wasn’t one for liking frequent company. But somehow Chloe was the exception. Beca didn’t mind Chloe hanging around at all. Which was why she hadn’t minded when Chloe had turned up at the station an hour ago to ‘give her some company’ before going out on her date.

“We’re snowed in.” Chloe declared in a panicked tone. Beca furrowed her brow for a moment. Snowed in? It hadn’t been snowing  _that_ heavily when she’d wandered through campus to get to the station earlier. Perhaps Chloe was just being a little over-dramatic like she had a tendency for?

“Did you push the door hard enough? Sometimes it can be a bit stiff.”

She watched as Chloe let out a light huff of air placing her hands on her hips, “You don’t think I already tried that?”

Beca held her hands up in defence, raising her eyebrows while she sat back in her chair and swung it around to face her friend, “Okay okay.”

The two girls looked at one another for a couple of moments. It wasn’t unusual for them to hold eye contact. Nor was it unusual for them to have this sort of comfortable silence. And while Beca wasn’t one for eye contact, yet again Chloe appeared to be the exception.

Beca let out a light sigh, “Want me to try the door?”

“Please.” Chloe squeaked in a quiet tone and a small smile curled in the corner of Beca’s pursed lips. She had to admit, Chloe had a tendency to be cute at times. Even when she was panicking.

So the brunette eased the headphones from around her neck, and stood up from the ‘DJ chair’, “Come on Beale.”

A small smile grew on Chloe’s mouth as she watched Beca throw her a wink before stepping past her in the doorway. Her stomach twisted a little while she saw the petite brunette make her way over to the front door of the building.

There was something about Beca that intrigued Chloe. She was prickly and stand-offish to many. Acted as though she didn’t have time for other people or things. But the more Chloe pushed their friendship, the more Chloe got to know Beca. And the more Chloe got to know Beca, the harder she was falling for her.

She’d only truly heard Beca laugh once. And not just a sympathetic chuckle that she forced out to be polite. A proper hearty laugh whereby her eyes squeezed closed and she threw her head back.

And that hearty laugh had come this evening, when Chloe had described her embarrassing Christmas from a few weeks back. In which she’d tripped over while carrying the massive ham to the table and it had fallen to the floor only for the dogs to pounce on it.

The second she’d heard that laugh Chloe’s heart had soared, filling it with hope and love. Being goofy was what Beca found funny. Being goofy was what Beca clearly liked. And Chloe hoped beyond all hope that she was reading her friend properly. They’d only known each other a few months, but Chloe knew they were going to be friends for life. She just  _knew_  it. And she hoped one day they might become something more..

“Ahh shit.” she heard Beca mutter, and Chloe watched as her friend’s shoulders slumped, Beca’s hand leaving the door handle. That’s when Chloe knew there was no use in trying any more. They were definitely snowed in.

—

“I’m sorry you never managed to get to your date.” Beca said in a kind tone, one that had Chloe looking down at the sandwich that Beca had pulled in half to share with her. The redhead smiled softly, picking at the food.

They were sat together on a really small couch, their thighs touching while they remained shoulder to shoulder, their respective halves of the sandwich on their laps. They’d been there for ages, a blanket across their shoulders while the temperature dipped slightly - the thermostat being in Luke’s locked office upstairs. Beca had loaded a tonne of music on the system for the station to play, giving her time to sit with Chloe and keep her company.

“Ahh it’s okay.” Chloe said with a small shrug, “Evan’s not texted me so I’m guessing he’s not worried that I’ve got stuck in a snowdrift somewhere.”

Beca furrowed her brow, looking to her right at the redhead she still didn’t know too much about, despite their friendship, “That the guy you were in the shower with that one time?”

Chloe quickly snapped her attention over to Beca, her eyebrows raised, “Who Tom? No he was…um…just convenient.”

Beca wasn’t overly sure what ‘just convenient’ meant, but she could hazard a guess. So she cleared her throat awkwardly and looked down at her own sandwich, pulling out a small piece of chicken with her fingertips.

“What about you?” Chloe dared to ask with a curious expression, “You seeing anyone?”

A coy smile grew on Beca’s face and Chloe thought she could notice the girl’s cheeks flushing slightly in the dim light of the radio booth they were sat in. Her heart began racing a little. Oh God, was it that guy from the Trebles? Jakey or Jesse or whatever his name was?

“I uh…I’m not seeing anyone, no.”

“Then what’s that smile all about?” Chloe asked, nudging her elbow playfully against Beca’s arm and she heard a gentle chuckle fall from the brunette’s mouth.

“What smile?”

“Um the massive grin that’s now on your face??” Chloe said with a huge grin of her own and her heart danced as she watched Beca look up at her and into her eyes.

Suddenly they fell silent, their eyes locked in an intense stare while they sat side by side. The atmosphere became thick. And Chloe noticed Beca hesitated for a moment, as though she were contemplating something.

“I’m just…crushing on someone a bit, that’s all.” Beca managed to mumble awkwardly and Chloe’s stomach flipped a little.

“Is it Jesse?” She asked and immediately regretted it when she saw Beca roll her eyes and return her focus down to her sandwich, “I’m sorry it’s just I’ve seen you with him on campus and talking to him at competitions and-“

“-we’re friends he…I’m not interested in him.” Beca said as she glanced back at the redhead and again, their eyes met. Their chests noticeably began rising and falling a little quicker than normal and Chloe thought she saw Beca’s gaze flicker momentarily down at her lips before resuming focus on her eyes.

“ _I’m sorry again about your date._ ” Beca whispered, her words cutting through the silence and Chloe felt her heart jump into her throat. Their faces were close. Closer than deemed acceptable between two girls who were just friends. And a soft smile grew on Chloe’s face.

“Well this is kinda like a date.” She mumbled with a shrug, “Bit of food, good company, good music…”

They fell silent again while a small smile grew across Beca’s lips. Everso slowly, they drew their faces closer so that the tips of their noses touched.

Chloe could feel Beca’s breath wash over her chin. Beca could feel Chloe’s breath wash over  _her_  chin. And the two college students hesitated, pulling back slightly to check that the other was happy to proceed with the inevitable.

Then with one deep breath each, Beca and Chloe closed their eyes and shared a tender kiss. A tender kiss that broke, and they both let out small sighs as their foreheads met.

“I’ve never kissed a girl before.” Beca mumbled with a coy smile and Chloe reciprocated the expression.

“Me either.” she confessed.

Silence fell upon them once again, the only sound coming from their breathing and the radio music that was playing through the headphones at the desk.

“Wanna do it again?” Beca asked tentatively, and Chloe’s smile grew.

“Uhuh.” came her soft reply, and their lips met once again.

Beca and Chloe had no idea how long they were going to be snowed in for. But right now, they really didn’t care..


	11. Christmas At Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the Harry Potter AU..

_“Alright Beca?” came the identical teasing tone of two male voices that had Beca snapping her lips from Chloe’s mouth with a gasp._

_She immediately turned on the spot, attempting to hide her girlfriend from view - an action that was laughable when you considered the other girl was a good couple of inches taller than her with bright red hair. Hardly mistakable (though often mistaken for a Weasley). Beca and Chloe had been making out down one of the darker corridors in the school. During class-time no less, which was what made sneaking around a little safer. Or at least..that’s what they’d thought._

_Beca looked up at the huge teasing grins on Fred & George Weasley’s faces as they looked down from their gangly heights at the two girls before them, and her cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment, “Uh..h-hey Guys..” she stuttered awkwardly._

_“So you’re sneaking around with a Slytherin, huh?” Fred said in an amused tone, motioning to Chloe stood behind Beca._

_“Bet Posen’s thrilled about that.” George added in an identical amused tone, his eyebrows rising at Chloe who had also blushed._

_“Very thrilled, George.” Fred agreed with a nod._

_“VERY thrilled, Fred.” George echoed with a grin, turning to his twin brother and Beca’s stomach sank._

_No, Aubrey Posen would not be thrilled. She was the Queen Bee of Slytherin, (even though she was only in her third year at Hogwarts) and best friends with Chloe Beale - the girl Beca had accidentally fallen in love with this past year. The girl who had accidentally fallen in love with Beca in return. Both were in ferocious agreement that in no way could Aubrey EVER know about them._

_Beca let out a sigh of defeat as the twins looked back at her with mischievous grins on their faces, “You’re not gonna tell her, are you?”_

_“Tell her?” Fred & George said in unison, “Whyever would we do that?”_

_“We hate Posen.” George said._

_“Hate her.” Fred agreed, holding a hand up to Chloe quickly._

_“No offence.” The twins said together to Chloe and the girl was still so stunned to have been caught that all she could really do was shake her head slightly and shrug._

_“This setup is perfect.” Fred said to Beca with a grin and Beca swallowed nervously._

_“Perfect?” She asked and the two lanky boys before her nodded._

_“Perfect.” they both replied._

_“You guys are rebelling against Poison-Posen!” George burst in delight._

_“We’re not exactly rebe-“ Beca tried to explain, but the Weasley twins were on a roll._

_“If she ever found out you two were sneaking around together behind her back she’d go crazy!” Fred exclaimed with a massive grin._

_“Crazy.” George echoed with a nod._

_“But then she’d stop you two from seeing each other.”_

_“Which we’d hate.”_

_“Really hate.”_

_“And she’d probably torture both of you.”_

_“Which we’d also really hate.” Fred added, and the corridor fell quiet for a moment. Beca’s stomach sank as she thought about how Aubrey would react. Yeah, the Slytherin WOULD torture them. Both of them. And Beca would hate for Chloe to be tortured._

_“So…what do we do?” Chloe piped up from behind Beca in a less than confident tone. Beca watched as the twins looked to the other redhead with a shrug and a grin._

_“By all means carry on hiding in corridors together.” George said._

_“But if you both need some REAL hiding places, come find us.” Fred added as he and his brother turned to walk away from their fellow third years._

_“We’ll be able to hook you up!” The both finished in unison and wandered away down the corridor, chuckling to each other._

Three months later and Beca Mitchell skirted her way eagerly down a corridor, a well wrapped Christmas gift in one hand, her wand in the other. Her heart raced as she skidded to a halt at a statue part-way down the corridor. The statue that Fred and George had told her about.

_“Alright Beca?” Fred & George’s identical voices chimed out as she approached them. They were sat at the long Gryffindor table in The Great Hall, surrounded by fellow Gryffindor Quidditch players. Today was the first Quidditch Match of the school year, and a momentous match indeed: Gryffindor vs Slytherin; and Harry Potter’s first ever Quidditch game - the youngest seeker in years. The school was buzzing and the rival houses were being extra vicious towards one another. But Beca’s mind was on only one Slytherin: Chloe._

_“Yeah uh…can I talk to you guys in private for a moment?” Beca asked, her eyes flickering from the twins over to Oliver Wood - the team’s Captain - who looked a little too disapproving for Beca’s liking. Were they in the middle of a tactics meeting? Wasn’t that what the dressing rooms were for at the beginning of a match?_

_“Sure.” Fred & George both said in unison, standing at the same time, stepping out from the bench at the same time, then following Beca down The Great Hall towards the large doors._

_“What can we do you for?” Fred asked?_

_“Need tips on how to impress a ginger?” George added, and Beca panicked a little, throwing a playful punch at his arm while looking around to check nobody was listening. The two boys laughed and a small smile grew on Beca’s face. She couldn’t help it, they WERE funny._

_“Chloe and I got caught by McGonagall last week.” Beca said in a low voice, her expression more serious now, and the twins’ eyebrows rose, their grins turning to teasing grins._

_“Yikes.”_

_“That must’ve been embarrassing.”_

_“VERY embarrassing.”_

_“The worst.” Beca muttered, and the three of them paused while a small group of first year Ravenclaw’s passed them to go into The Great Hall for breakfast._

_“So I was hoping I could take you up on that offer of a hiding place?” Beca asked, turning back to her friends and the twins smiled at her, their eyes lighting up._

_“We know just the place!” they replied as one._

Beca checked up and down the corridor to see if the coast was clear. But it was Christmas Day. Of  _course_  there would be nobody else about. So with a wave of her wand, the statue came to life, stepped aside, and Beca crept into the gap that had been hidden behind it. The brunette took a deep breath then eased her way into the gap.

She moved with ease, further and further down the small dark corridor. Once she’d decided she’d got far enough down, she light the tip of her wand, happy that nobody would be able to see it from the gap she’d just walked through.

“Lumos” she muttered, and the path ahead of her lit up. As her feet carried her forward, Beca because more and more excited. It had been a long three-day wait. But it was worth it. Worth it to finally be reunited with-

As Beca stepped into an open clearing at the end of the tunnel, she was given little time to adjust to the daylight of the cold winters morning before a head of red hair flashed before her eyes and her petite body was quickly engulfed by warm familiar arms. Beca grinned as she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around the fellow thirteen year old before her as best as she could (considering that her hands were a little full).

“Merry Christmas Chlo.” she mumbled and caught a breath before Chloe pulled slightly out of the hug to immediately throw her lips onto hers, cupping the Gryffindor’s cheeks affectionately as their tongues immediately dove into one another’s mouths. Beca didn’t really believe in the notion of ‘wingmen’, but if she did then Fred & George were the ultimate wingmen.

She and Chloe had been meeting here every couple of days for the past two and a half months since Fred & George had shown her this ‘secret corridor’ that led out to the Hogwarts Grounds. This particular one led to a clearing near the Herbology Greenhouses.

They eventually parted with light gasps and goofy grins on their faces. It’d been a year and a bit since their first kiss. A year and a bit since they’d started all this sneaking around. Hormones were rife and their ‘secret hideout’ was the place they met to deal with those hormones: making out then studying for papers before making out some more. Beca’s every thought every day was on Chloe. She looked out for her at every mealtime. Tried to bump into her on the way to and from their shared classes. And during holidays - like this one - Beca didn’t go home, instead choosing to spend it with her secret girlfriend while most other Slytherin’s were away.

“Merry Christmas Beca.” Chloe aired in a light tone and a content smile, bringing her hands down to their sides to take Beca’s hands. Until she realised those hands were full.

“Oh I um…I got you this.” Beca said with a grin, holding up the wrapped gift she’d brought with her.

Her heart skipped a beat as the girl’s bright blue eyes looked up at her, shining slightly, before turning its attention to the gift Beca had just handed to her.

“It’s nothing much just-“

“-Pride and Prejudice?” Chloe read the front of the book that she’d just unwrapped with a curious look on her face.

“Yeah, it’s um…well you mentioned how much you’d always wanted to read a muggle novel and this is a pretty famous muggle novel. My Mom’s favourite. She read it loads when she was our age apparently.”

Chloe tugged her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled gently, looking up from the book to the girl stood nervously before her while Beca continued talking nervously.

“It talks about the importance of marrying for love and not money or a title…”

Beca paused and looked up at Chloe. They’d spoken before about the way some magical families almost disowned their children if they weren’t put in the Hogwarts House that their family line had always been in. For Beca, she came from two Muggle parents so she’d never had that cloud hanging over her head. For Chloe - who came from a long line of Hufflepuffs - her parents had both fortunately been very kind, reacting fairly well to the news that their daughter had been sorted into Slytherin, particularly when Chloe had explained to them the reason why she had.

Neither Beca nor Chloe had spoken about marriage or what they might do with their lives once they finished at Hogwarts. After all, they still had four years left. There was no telling what would happen. But they’d both agreed that while many would turn their nose up at the idea of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin falling in love, Beca and Chloe didn’t care. Because at the end of the day,  _they were in love_.

“This is the nicest gift anyone’s ever got me.” Chloe said softly, and Beca’s smile grew.

“I wrote something inside the first page too.” she said, reaching out to slowly pull open the front cover.

Chloe’s blue eyes drifted down to the first page and at Beca’s handwriting:

_Dear Chloe. Merry Christmas! I hope all your dreams come true in the year to come and if they don’t then I hope you’ll get a little closer to them. I’ll always be here for you and can’t wait to see what this coming year has in store for us. All my love, your Beca x_

Chloe found tears welling in her eyes as she looked up from the message to her girlfriend. The girl who had flipped her world upside down. The girl she adored. And without any hesitation, she surged forward to kiss Beca firmly on the lips again.

“I love you.” she mumbled against the Gryffindor’s lips and Beca smiled while they parted their faces again.

“Oh and I got Flo to teach me an enchantment. I’ve enchanted the message so if anyone tries to read it all they’ll see if gobbledygook.”

Chloe’s smile broadened as she looked from her beaming girlfriend down to the book in her hands. She felt overwhelmed. This was the most wonderful gift she’d ever been given. And it had been given to her by the girl she’d fallen in love with.

“It can be like a secret message from me to you. So you’ll always know how much I love you.”

Beca hadn’t ever said such romantic things before. But she meant it. She  _loved_  Chloe. And didn’t ever want to imagine a time when she wouldn’t be in love with her. Chalk it down to a teen romance but Beca was absolutely besotted.

“My turn.” Chloe aired in a quiet tone, reaching into her robe pocket and pulling out a small round wrapped package. “It’s nothing much but..I also managed to pick the brains of Flo Fuentes…”

Beca took the gift from the palm of Chloe’s hand with a curious smile on her face. Florencia Fuentes was the smartest girl in the school. A fellow third year, Flo was very clever and had a wicked sense of humour. She was at the top of every one of her classes, and constantly earned points for her house: Ravenclaw.

Beca slowly unwrapped her gift, and her eyes widened as she plucked a small clear ball from the wrapping. The second she touched it, the ball appeared to shine, and as she focussed a little more intently she noticed that a golden badger shone within it, enchanted to gallop on the spot.

“You always said you thought I would’ve made a better Hufflepuff…this orb is clear to anyone except you and I. If one of us touches it, it’ll light up.” A smile slowly spread on Beca’s face at Chloe’s explanation. “I wanted you to have something small that reminded you of me and how much I love you. Something secret, just like our love.”

Beca found herself lunging for her girlfriend, immediately throwing her lips onto Chloe’s and kissing her hard. She’d never received something so special before. But then again, she’d never had anyone as special as Chloe in her life before. And Beca was certain she’ll never have anyone as special again.


	12. Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca and Chloe make a promise to each other..

“Hey.” Chloe said in her bright bubbly tone, beaming as her close friend and co-captain hopped up on the kitchen counter beside her. In their hand they each held a cup of eggnog and looked out at the party pumping on before them. The annual ‘Acapella Christmas Bonanza’. Nobody knew what classified it as a ‘Bonanza’ but nobody challenged the title. It was tradition. And it was tradition for The Trebles to hold it.

This year, however, things felt different. Not for The Trebles per say - the party was still being held at their house. And not really for The Bellas either. But for Chloe and particularly Beca, this year’s ‘Bonanza’ felt very different. And it was all because Jesse wasn’t here.

Jesse, Beca’s boyfriend of two and a half years. Jesse who had been the captain of The Treblemakers for two of those years before graduating early and being accepted at a Film School in LA - one of his dreams coming true. And Beca had acted as though she didn’t really care. As though she was happy for her boyfriend. And maybe a part of her was. But Chloe knew Beca. Could read her better than anyone. And she knew that Beca missed him. That she worried they were moving emotionally further apart.

Chloe turned to the woman beside her, watching Beca affectionately while the brunette had a calm smile on her face. She knew Beca wasn’t looking forward to graduating at the end of this school year. Hell,  _Chloe_  wasn’t looking forward to it. She was terrified. Terrified of moving away from Beca - the girl she’d secretly fallen for three years ago.

Chloe nudged Beca with her elbow, “So this might be the eggnog talking but…” she paused, waiting for the younger woman turn to her, and as their eyes met Chloe felt a tug in her heart. The same tug she always felt whenever their eyes met like this. She was so  _in love_  with Beca it hurt at times. “…I have a proposal for you.”

Beca’s eyebrows rose in curiosity while a smile drew it’s way across Chloe’s mouth. She was nervous about broaching this subject that she absolutely knew she could only pull off if she said it in a fun manner - even though she was fully serious about the subsequent promise it held.

“If neither of us are married by the time we’re 40, did you want to just get married? Like…together? Like…each other, I mean.”

Chloe’s heart felt as though it was about to burst out of her chest while she felt as though a lifetime passed. A small smile poked in the corners of Beca’s mouth.

“You mean if I don’t end up marrying Jesse one day?”

Chloe’s stomach sank. So marriage was something Beca and Jesse had discussed. Something Beca presumably accepted was a part of her future. To be married to Jesse.

But before Chloe could answer and before Beca could say anything more, Fat Amy bounced up to them announcing to Beca that she  _had_ to do shots, and the Australian tugged the brunette from the kitchen counter. Chloe watched in disappointment as Beca disappeared from view.

Well there went her opportunity.

**— Two and a bit Years Later —**

“Hey, remember a couple of years ago in college. When you asked me if I’d agree to marry you when we’re 40 if neither of us were already married?”

Chloe pushed her reading glasses up to the top of her head and placed her ‘ _So You’re Going To Interview For Vet School_ ’ book down on her lap. Then she turned to her left to see her best friend sat up directly beside her in the fold out bed they shared. Money was tight, and living options were minimal, which was why they shared a bed in a small stuffy studio apartment while their roommate Amy had the double bed nearby. It was cheaper to share rent between three people - though Amy had  _a lot_  of IOUs..

Chloe saw Beca looking back at her with puffy eyes and pale skin. The brunette had broken up with Jesse yesterday. Or rather, Jesse had broken up with her - having sources ‘the long distance thing’ as being too strenuous on their relationship. It had come completely out of the blue. And  _just_  before Christmas. Chloe was furious with him. Beca was rightfully heartbroken.

“Um yeah?” Chloe replied.

“Did I respond? I don’t remember responding.”

A small sad smile poked in the corner of Chloe’s mouth. She’d completely forgotten about her proposal to Beca. Back when they’d both been in senior year. She couldn’t never have predicted they’d be living like this two and a half years on.

“I think Amy pulled you away before you could give me an answer.”

“Right.” Beca mumbled quietly, looking over at the small Christmas tree they’d put up together last week. “Well is it okay if I accept your proposal?”

Chloe’s heart soared as Beca turned back to her with a small smile and a shrug, adding, “I mean we seem to share a bed and apartment and bills and life pretty well together at the moment. Think how good we’d be at it by the time we’re 40.”

The two best friends shared soft smiles and affectionate expressions as they looked to one another. Neither dared admit it out loud, but they’d both developed some very deep romantic feelings for one another since living so intimately together.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Ms Mitchell.” Chloe said, holding her hand out, and Beca took it to shake.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Ms Beale.”

**— Fourteen and a Half Years Later —**

Chloe rocked back and forth on her heels, her heart fluttering with excitement as she watched Beca slowly approach her. They were in a beautiful grand room. Everyone around them were Chloe’s nearest and dearest. But nobody was as near and dear to Chloe as her best friend stood before her right now.

“Happy 40th Chlo.” Beca mumbled with a coy grin on her face, holding out a small gift-wrapped box.

Chloe’s heart jumped into her mouth. This was it. The moment she’d been secretly craving since she were in her mid-twenties. Beca was going to propose!

Neither of them had got married in the time since their agreement. Chloe had come close. Twice. To two different men. Beca had become well known for having one girlfriend after another. A ‘serial dater’ as Amy always joked. But Chloe had a feeling deep down it was because Beca was just temporarily filling a void in her life that she expected Chloe to take up entirely once she hit 40.

But to Chloe’s disappointment and confusion, in the small box were a pair of beautiful pearl earrings.

“O-Oh.” she managed to choke out, trying her hardest to hide her heartache, “Earrings.  _Wow_.”

She didn’t dare look up at Beca who was busy looking directly at her face, trying to assess her expression.

And it was the very expression Beca had been expecting. Beca’s heart broke slightly. This hadn’t been part of their agreement. Beca still had two years before she was 40. Sure, she was still crazy in love - secret love - for Chloe. But rules were rules. And who knew if Chloe would find ‘the one’ for her in those two years?

For now, Beca just had to be patient. And she hoped Chloe would be too. Just two more years.

**— Two and a bit Years Later —**

“Chlo? Can you come in here for a minute?” Beca called out to her best friend.

They and The Bellas had all agreed to gather together at a hotel for Christmas this year. Some had brought their partners and children. Some, who had neither of those, just brought themselves - Beca and Chloe included.

Chloe strode through to the lounge area of Beca’s suite, placing the other pearl earring in her ear before freezing suddenly. Her breath caught in her throat.

Before her stood Beca, alone, by the large Christmas tree. Above her head was some mistletoe. And the brunette had her hands behind her back while she smiled over at Chloe. Beca motioned with her head for Chloe to join her and the woman slowly, nervously did so.

“ _Hey_.” Beca breathed out with a short sharp nervous breath.

Chloe had no idea what was going on and at the same time knew  _exactly_  what was going on. Beca had turned 40 just over a month ago. Had refused a party or any form of celebration and worked instead. Had insisted they (she and The Bellas) could all celebrate when they gathered for Christmas in December. This was it.

“Chloe Anne Beale, sixteen years ago you and I agreed to marry each other if neither of us were married off by the time we were 40.”

Chloe managed to hold back a sob at Beca’s words while tears began to build in her eyes. She could see tears shining in Beca’s and it occurred to her just how important this moment was to her best friend too.

“And it’s felt like the  _longest_  sixteen years  _ever_. Because truth be told I could’ve married you right there and then.”

Unbeknownst to Chloe, all of The Bellas were peering into the room from the lobby area of the expensive suite, tears rolling down their cheeks. They’d known about this agreement a few years ago when Chloe had ended her second engagement. They all knew how crazy Beca and Chloe were for each other, even if Beca and Chloe didn’t admit it to the other.

“But if anything this long long wait has proved to me that you are the woman I love, and that I couldn’t wouldn’t  _ever_  want anyone else to be my wife.”

This time Chloe did let out a sob while tears rolled down her cheeks, a huge beaming smile on her face as Beca brought her hands from behind her back to reveal a small jewellery box.

“So would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” Beca blubbed, sniffing while tears ran down her face as she opened the box to reveal a beautiful engagement ring.

“ _Yes_!” Chloe burst, letting out a watery chuckle as Beca immediately plucked the ring from the box, chucking the non essential bit to the ground before slipping the ring perfectly onto Chloe’s wedding finger.

The two best friends grinned as they looked into one another’s eyes. Then with little more hesitation, threw their arms around each other and shared a deep kiss. Their  _first_  kiss. The first of many.

Within seconds their friends had joined them, cheering and crying and congratulating them loudly while they all shared a huge group hug. Later that day - thanks to perfect organisation weeks before by Aubrey Posen - Beca and Chloe got married in a beautiful yet simple wedding ceremony provided by the hotel.

And they lived happily ever after.


	13. Love/Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *angst warning*

Beca held her breath, the feel of Chloe’s cool hand in hers as the younger woman slowly led them down the staircase towards the lounge that had light billowing from it. It was 6am. About the time that Chloe normally woke up, so it wasn’t too out of routine for her to be out of bed already. As they approached the open door of the lounge, Beca felt her wife squeeze her hand and they came to a stop.

Beca peered over her shoulder and her heart dropped as she saw her wife’s pale face staring into the room, expressionless. More expressionless than ‘normal’ (if that was even possible). Chloe’s eyes appeared to stare at each and every thing within the lounge. And Beca watched them carefully while they did, hoping that there would be some glimmer of hope that appeared.

“What’s all this?” Chloe croaked slowly, her hand still in Beca’s while she shuffled closer behind her, almost as if she were a shy child on her first day of school.

“It’s Christmas Day, Chloe.” Beca replied in a soft, kind voice while her chest continued to feel heavy, “You love Christmas.”

“I hate Christmas.” Chloe replied in a deadpan tone, her attention still focussed on the inside of the lounge.

“No you don’t.” Beca mumbled in an almost incoherent manner while tears built in her eyes. Her heart ached for the Chloe she once knew. The Chloe she fell in love with all those years ago.

“Yes I do.” Chloe insisted, still deadpan, her eyes eventually wandering slowly back over to Beca, “It’s you who loves Christmas. I hate it.”

There was silence around them as Beca paused, desperately trying to hold her tears back. It was difficult talking to her wife nowadays. She wished they could chat like they used to. Now they were lucky to have a conversation that lasted longer than three or four sentences.

“I only began loving Christmas because you loved it so much, darling.” Beca replied in a soft, vulnerable tone. Her hand still held Chloe’s and they both turned to look into the lounge.

Beca’s eyes found the tall figures of her and Chloe’s two sons, both looking over at their mother’s sheepishly. By their sides were their respective wives, looking equally sheepish, and in the arms of one wife was a baby - Beca and Chloe’s first grandchild.

Behind them was a grand fireplace, with lit candles in beautiful candle holders on the mantelpiece. The room around them was decorated with beautiful Christmas decorations - many of which Chloe had handmade many years ago. And by the front bay window stood a large Christmas tree that Beca and her sons had painstakingly erected and decorated overnight.

It didn’t matter to Beca how bad her wife got. How badly Chloe’s mind was deteriorating. ‘In sickness and in health’ was what Beca Mitchell had vowed thirty five years ago. She wasn’t going to give up on her wife just because Chloe had fallen victim to dementia.

“I want you to take this all down.” Chloe said in a sharp tone that Beca had never heard until recent months. She felt the woman drop her hand and Beca immediately began to panic a little. She turned just as Chloe began walking away, as fast as her old legs would carry her, back up to their bedroom.

As Beca heard the door slam, tears finally fell down her cheeks. Christmas was supposed to be a time of happiness. A time to be together with family. Chloe had taught her that when they’d been in their twenties. Chloe had taught her that Christmas could be one of the most special times of year. Chloe had taught Beca how to love Christmas. Chloe had taught Beca how to love.

“You okay Ma?” came Curt’s calm tone, and Beca let her eyes drift shut as her son’s hand rested gently on her shoulder. Beca sniffed loudly, letting out a heavy breath and straightening herself up a little.

“Yeah.” she said, trying to keep a bright tone as she cleared her throat, “Yeah just…it’s hard to see your Mom like this, you know?”

“We know, Ma.” Tyler said in a tone as calm as his brothers was.

Beca turned to see the rest of her little family looking back at her sympathetically. It hadn’t been easy when they’d all found out about Chloe’s diagnosis. Chloe had been in denial about it for a long while after. And Beca had just had to bumble through life blindly in the hope that they could all somehow adjust to the new life that they were being forced to accommodate.

“Guess you’d better take it all down.” Beca mumbled sadly, motioning to the decorations and the tree, “I don’t want your Mom to be upset today of all days.”

Her two sons nodded slowly, giving her a look as if to say “Are you sure.” but Beca nodded at them firmly. It was still Christmas Day. She was determined to enjoy it with her family in whatever capacity possible.

And her priority, as always, was Chloe’s happiness. Even if that  _did_ mean taking down all the decorations that the older woman had once so lovingly created and collated over the years..


	14. Glühwein

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca, Chloe, and The Bellas visit a Christmas Market in Brussels..

The Barden Bellas wandered aimlessly through the beautiful Christmas Market in Brussels - their first trip abroad - their eyes wide in wonder and delight. The sun had set a couple of hours before and their faces were lit by the plethora of Christmas lights that were shining out from each stall they passed.

Aubrey, of course, led the way. Her white smile shone almost as bright as the lights around her, and the woman slowed at intervals to check over her shoulder. Her eyes glanced at the heads of the nine Bellas following her, doing a quick count before turning back, looking ahead of them again.

Bringing up the rear were The Bellas co-captain’s, Beca and Chloe. Their cheeks were pink thanks to the chill and the three cups of strong Glühwein in their system. And as they moved they bumped into each other slightly, chuckling each time they did while mumbling apologies.

Aubrey had graduated two years ago, but it was as though, in a funny sort of way, she hadn’t really left The Bellas. She still stayed in touch. And she still organised social events for them - like this short trip to Europe. The presence of the blonde meant that Beca and Chloe both seemed to automatically take a step back from leadership duties, and were happy to just bumble along behind the rest of their friends.

It was due to this release of responsibilities that Beca and Chloe found themselves feeling more relaxed. Being more relaxed meant they were open to enjoying more alcohol. And enjoying more alcohol meant they were becoming a little more ‘touchy-feely’ with one another - just like they were after lots of alcohol at college parties.

Beca let out a small yelp as she felt her hand being tugged. She was swooped around the side of one of the market stalls, and a giggle fell from her mouth as Chloe leant forward against her, the redhead also giggling.

“Sorry.” Chloe said with a grin, “I’d meant that to be a little less aggressive.”

But Beca just stared into her eyes with a dopey drunk look on her face. Chloe’s hands were on her hips, and Beca found herself bringing her arms up to Chloe’s shoulders and resting them on there, her freezing fingertips curling affectionately through the redhead’s hair.

“I’m drunk.” Beca confessed with a grin, enjoying the warmth that was provided by Chloe’s body as the woman pressed up against her.

“I’m drunk too.” Chloe mumbled in response, her face drawing a little closer to Beca’s.

Beca found her heart jump into her throat as she felt Chloe’s warm breath thawing her cold face. But just as she began closing her eyes, slowly bringing her lips to Chloe’s, the two women jumped at the sound of a very familiar voice:

“Um what’re you guys doing?”

Chloe snapped back from Beca, quickly spinning around, and they saw Aubrey looking at them with a confused frown on her face, the rest of The Bellas looking equally confused behind her.

“Nothing.” Beca and Chloe both said in unison, neither comprehending that Chloe’s hand was behind her back with her fingers entwined with Beca’s.

“Okaaay.” Aubrey replied in a suspicious tone, then motioned to the fries stall across the way, “We’re going to get fries.” she said, and both Beca and Chloe nodded.

As they followed The Bellas once again, Beca and Chloe glanced at one another with coy smiles on their faces. Their fingers were still entwined, their hands hanging between them.

They’d been so close just then to sharing their first kiss. And as they continued walking, their minds began to drift with excitement and desire. They were sharing a room during this trip. Alone…


	15. Christmas Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe grieves at Christmas time..

Chloe lay motionless on top of her bed covers. Her bedroom was in darkness save for the Christmas lights beaming through her window from The Trebles’ frat house. Her chest felt heavy. Her heart ached. Her eyes painful and face puffy from how long she’d been crying for.

Her Grandfather had died this morning. Her mother had called just after lunch to tell her the sad news. And Chloe was  _heartbroken_. Her Grandfather had been her number one fan. Had encouraged her to be whoever she wanted to be. That it was okay to feel however she wanted to feel. That she should pursue whatever she wanted to pursue. And he fully believed she could do  _anything_.

But now he was gone Chloe felt…empty. Why did he have to go now? And so close to Christmas.

The redhead didn’t say a word when she heard a light knock on her closed bedroom door. She didn’t move an inch when, after a short pause, the door slowly opened and let some light from the landing into the dark room. But she let out a tiny sigh when the door closed back over and she heard someone slowly creep over to the bed.

The mattress dipped slightly as a light body laid in the small space beside Chloe and the redhead smelled a familiar perfume.  _Beca’s_ perfume.

Beca was the last person Chloe had expected to come to her first. She’d expected Jessica and Ashley, or Flo, or Stacie to find out what was going on. Not the woman who didn’t really like talking about feelings or emotion. No matter how close she and Beca had become over the past couple of years since Beca’s freshman year, Chloe still doubted that Beca had the capacity to truly comfort her. The brunette just wasn’t affectionate enough. And Chloe needed affection. Needed a shoulder to cry on and arms to curl up in.

Chloe and Beca laid on their backs, staring at the ceiling while the Christmas lights twinkled through the window and shone above them. But neither said a word.

After a little while - Chloe was unsure of how long - she suddenly felt Beca’s hand slowly and tentatively curl under her own and take her hand. Their fingers entwined. And Chloe’s body trembled while tears built in her eyes again. Beca gave her hand reassuring squeezes at intervals, and while it didn’t cure Chloe’s heartbreak, it momentarily sent a small wave of comfort wash over her troubled mind.

When Chloe began gently squeezing Beca’s hand back she noticed out of the corner of her eye her co-captain turn to look at her. But Chloe kept her eyes on the ceiling above her, worried that she may burst into tears if she looked to her friend.

“Wanna go for a drive?” Beca asked in a soft tone - far softer than Chloe had ever heard it before. And for a second Chloe wondered if Beca felt the same way for her as she did for Beca. Wondered if Beca held a secret crush on her too..

“We don’t have to talk.” Beca added after the silence in the room clearly became a little too much for her, “We can just go see the different Christmas lights that people have up.”

Chloe swallowed loudly, then opened her mouth to take a breath. Beca still squeezed her hand gently, now rubbing the pad of her thumb back and forth soothingly across the top of Chloe’s thumb. Patiently.

“ _Okay_.” Chloe whispered.

—

Chloe leant the side of her head against her palm, her elbow propping it up against the inside of the car door while she looked out the front window. She was wrapped in her warmest coat as she stared out blankly at the road up ahead while they steadily drove down it.

Her mind drifted back to the last time she’d seen her Grandfather. She remembered how warm his hug had felt. How his bright blue eyes had danced when she’d told him a funny story. She and he had always laughed lots together. She had so many happy memories of him. Memories that she’d no longer add to.

“Two medium hot chocolates please.”

Chloe jumped, turning to her left to see that Beca had rolled up to a Starbucks drive-thru.

“Yeah, cream  _and_  marshmallows please. Actually can I get extra marshmallows in a separate cup too?”

Chloe loved marshmallows in her hot chocolate and she was surprised Beca remembered. Yeah they’d known each other two and a bit years, but Chloe hadn’t put Beca down as someone who would take note of tiny details like that.

“Yeah I know it’ll be extra, that’s okay.”

Chloe watched as her friend leant out of the window to pay, then Beca edged the car down to the next window to wait for their order. Chloe wasn’t sure how long they’d been in the car for. Wasn’t even sure what time of night it was. But she was very aware that this was the first time she and Beca were alone together outside of ‘Bellas Rehersals Planning’ that they did in the kitchen every Sunday.

Beca didn’t look at her while they waited, instead choosing to keep her focus on the window that their order would come from. And Chloe took the time to look at her friend in a new light. This was the kindest thing Chloe had ever known Beca to do. And she was doing it  _for her_.

“For you..” Beca mumbled as she took one hot chocolate and handed it over to Chloe, taking the other and putting it in the cup holder to her left.

A tiny smile poked in the corner of her mouth as she took the small cup of extra marshmallows. She looked back over at Beca while the younger woman drove them out of the drive-thru. Chloe didn’t necessarily feel any better. But she was pleased for some sort of distraction.

As they continued on down different streets, Chloe curled a finger into the cream of her hot chocolate, popping it in her mouth thoughtfully while she looked back out at the road. The sound of peaceful ballads played out quietly through the speakers in the car, producing a calm atmosphere.

They slowly rounded a corner and arrived at a stretch of houses that were each lit up with a mass array of lights and decorations. Chloe’s eyes widened in wonder at the sight. She’d never seen such beauty before.

The car came to a stop and Beca switched the ignition off with a light sigh. The two Bellas sat in silence, looking out at the different lit houses while sipping their respective hot chocolates.

Chloe watched as Beca reached for her phone and changed the song playing. As the opening to the new song began playing, they resumed their focus out the front window, letting out soft sighs.

Chloe wasn’t one for a Dolly Parton song. But  **[‘Here I Am’](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F4KOHpFQGEvkJFcwwm7g3ax%3Fsi%3DK6RLCUwvR5O82KQuoC6KTA&t=NThmMzhjNjk4YjNkNjQ1ZWNkNGIxYzc1ZjdmZTllZGE0ZWYyNDBkMSwxZmFmYWFiZWRjMTVhYWFkNzgwMDRjNmI3ZWRhOWZiZTEwYjg3ZTY3) **was already providing some comfort. Particularly as Beca had chosen to play it.

Beca glanced to her right, watching Chloe as the redhead looked out of the window, the Christmas lights shining on her face. Beca felt her heart thudding against her chest. Despite seeming so lost and vulnerable, Chloe looked… _beautiful_.

It hadn’t really crossed her mind that she liked Chloe as anything more than a friend. Not until a month ago when they’d both got drunk at her twenty first birthday party (that The Bellas had insisted on throwing for her) and Chloe had kinda ground against Beca to the beat of a hot and heavy song that had Beca wishing at the time that Chloe would never stop. From that moment on Beca had seen Chloe in a new light. And had become more and more confused about her sexuality.

Because Beca was attracted to Chloe. Attracted to every bit of her - both physically and emotionally. And Beca didn’t really know what to do about those feelings nor did she quite know how to process them.

“My Grandad died this morning.” Chloe said in a quiet voice, looking down sadly at the hot chocolate in her hands. “I was really close to him.”

To say it out loud had Chloe’s chest tightening that little bit more. It made it feel all the more real. And it brought tears to her eyes again. She heard a click, and her seatbelt loosened.

Chloe watched as the belt snapped from around her body and she looked over at her friend with a bit of confusion. Beca - who had unlocked Chloe’s belt - uncharacteristically brought her right arm out as a way of inviting the redhead to lean into her. And lean Chloe did.

The two friends sat side-by-side, Beca’s arm around Chloe’s shoulder while they sipped their hot chocolates in silence, looking out at the Christmas lights while the [Dolly Parton song continued to play](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F4KOHpFQGEvkJFcwwm7g3ax%3Fsi%3DK6RLCUwvR5O82KQuoC6KTA&t=NThmMzhjNjk4YjNkNjQ1ZWNkNGIxYzc1ZjdmZTllZGE0ZWYyNDBkMSwxZmFmYWFiZWRjMTVhYWFkNzgwMDRjNmI3ZWRhOWZiZTEwYjg3ZTY3).

“I’ll come to the funeral with you if you want?” Beca eventually said, her hand gently stroking Chloe’s arm over the coat the redhead wore.

Chloe let out a light sigh, her chest still heavy due to her heartache, but her mind feeling a little clearer. Even so, she had no energy to speak. So instead she simply nodded. Having Beca at the funeral would be a great support.

**— Nineteen Years Later —**

“Do…” Chloe began, pausing for a moment while her heart raced with nerves, “…do you ever feel like we act like a married couple sometimes?”

Her head rested on Beca’s stomach while they laid out on Chloe’s couch - Beca’s arm around her protectively, her fingertips smoothing over Chloe’s bare arm. Netflix still rolled. And the heat from the August evening meant the air drifting through the open window into the lounge did little to relieve the warmth in the room. But Chloe Walp didn’t mind.

“Why? Because I’m here most weeks?” Beca asked in an amused tone, and Chloe shrugged.

“And because we lay together like this in the evenings I guess.” the redhead replied.

Chloe had kept her ex-husband’s surname purely because she couldn’t stand the idea of having a different surname to her teenage daughter should she go back to being a ‘Beale’. And while the thought of her ex-husband and all he’d put them through made Chloe upset - Beca had brought some light to the little family. A miracle. And Chloe was as in love with her best friend now as she had been when they’d been in college together.

“Plus when we’re out with Briar it’s like…I dunno, like we’re a little family.”

She dared to raise her head and looked up at Beca. To her relief, the woman was looking down at her with a soft smile. Chloe lifted her head higher as she watched Beca slowly tilt her face down towards hers and they shared a brief cautious kiss. One filled with love and hope. Her first kiss since her ex-husband. But her first kiss that felt as though it truly meant something good.

As their lips parted Beca nudged the tip of her nose against the tip of Chloe’s, and broad smiles grew on their faces. Chloe let out a light chuckle as Beca’s fingers tucked some of her red hair behind her ear.

“I dunno if there’s any point in telling you now after all that you’ve been through and how far you’ve come but…” Beca paused while she looked at Chloe as though seeing her properly for the first time, “…for what it’s worth I’ve had a huge toner for you since college.”

Chloe’s smile broadened, “I’ve had a huge toner for you since college too.”

The redhead shuffled her body a little further up Beca’s and the second she was comfortable their lips found one another again. The two best friends sighed in contentment as their arms tightened around the other’s body, their kiss deepening, and they gradually started to make out.

For now this was all so fresh and new that in their minds both Beca and Chloe decided that Chloe’s daughter (Beca’s Goddaughter) couldn’t find out what was beginning here. Not until Beca and Chloe knew themselves.

But as it stood, as far as Beca and Chloe were concerned, they were finally together. After almost twenty years of pining. And they hoped that nothing would ever get in their way of pursuing it further..


	16. Peach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca and Chloe are drunk in The Bellas kitchen...

Chloe furrowed her brow slightly as she looked down at the screen. Beca had just texted her:

**_Join us for Christmas schnapps ♥♥♥_ **

The redhead grinned, looking up at Beca who was sat opposite her at the kitchen table of The Bellas house, swaying slightly while blinking slowly at her own phone screen.

They were alone and had been drinking for a good hour now. It’d been Beca’s idea, claiming that Peach Schnapps would help their ideas for Bellas Rehersals to flow. But all it had really done was fuel their procrastination.

Chloe nudged her toe against Beca’s shin and grinned as her co-captain looked up at her with a questioning look. The redhead raised her own phone to show Beca the screen:

“You texted  _me_  you idiot.”

She watched as Beca slowly took her time to work out what had happened, before looking back up at Chloe with a light sigh, “Well it’s not my fault you’re top of my ‘favourites’ in my contacts list.” she slurred slightly, looking back down at her phone, her brow furrowing again, “Meant to send it to Th

Thanks to the alcohol in her system, a small smile spread across Chloe’s face, and she encouraged herself to ask a bold question.

“How drunk are you?”

Beca looked up and swallowed loudly, shrugging gently, “Pretty drunk. You?”

“Pretty drunk too.”

There was a pause in the kitchen as the two co-captain’s fell silent. The atmosphere began to thicken as they held eye contact, and before Chloe knew what she was doing, she was sliding her bare toes up the inside of Beca’s leg and up the woman’s inner-thigh.

She saw Beca swallow loudly as the tip of her big toe poked the baggy pants that Beca wore, just where the mound between her legs was. And Chloe noticed Beca’s breathing become a little shallower. The brunette slid down her chair slightly, her eyes still locked with Chloe’s, and the two tugged their bottom lips between their teeth as Chloe began methodically rocking her foot from left to right, causing Beca to become aroused.

Chloe had never done this with a girl before. Would’ve never dreamt of doing this to Beca were they sober. But for some reason, the peach schnapps in Chloe’s system had her venturing further than so normally would. And the peach schnapps in Beca’s system mean the younger woman allowed Chloe to overstep that mark.

Suddenly Chloe let out a bit of a squeak as Beca rose to her feet and threw herself head-first across the kitchen table, knocking their empty glasses to the floor with a smash while their rehearsal notes and drawings flew everywhere. The redhead’s arms scooped Beca immediately up under the arms and, as though they’d done this a million times before, Beca straddled Chloe’s lap comfortably while her arms wound around Chloe’s neck.

The two drunk co-captains immediately began making out. Loudly. Messily. Humming and slurping as their kisses deepened by the meeting of their tongues. Beca’s fingers tangled in Chloe’s long red hair. Chloe’s hands cupped Beca’s ass, pushing as it gently to encourage the brunette to rock against her.

And that’s exactly what Beca did. Almost automatically. As though they’d been made to do this even though neither had kissed or made out with one another before.

Unbeknownst to the two, their friends had all gathered in the doorway of the kitchen to find out what had smashed. All looked confused, with some also accommodating a pleasantly surprised expression too. When Beca and Chloe tugged their respective shirts off, The Bellas almost made them stop. Almost. But for some reason they remained quiet.

All until Beca’s hands began fiddling with the clasp of Chloe’s bra. That’s when the other women of the house decided to intervene - much to their co-captains’ embarrassment. Needless to say, Beca and Chloe struggled to live that incident down because The Bellas never let them forget it..


	17. I'll Be Home For Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set far in the future..

Becah stepped off the air-vessel, straightening her black leather jacket as she looked up and down the busy street. A new city full of people she didn’t know. A new city full of people she couldn’t trust. And her first day leading a new team of detectives. A team of detectives who didn’t exactly trust the chief’s decision in hiring her from out-of-town in the first place.

She was petite, young, and rolled a bamboo toothpick around with her tongue until it skilfully swirled to the other corner of her mouth. But for however small her stature, her reputation proceeded her.

The brunette looked up above her head at the lines of air vessels that flew above her within the restricted air-ways. This was a weird city. Far poorer than she was used to. Smelt far worse than she was used to. The air felt more polluted and the people looked less accommodating. No wonder she was stationed here..

Becah looked over her shoulder watching three of her new colleagues arrive behind her, stood waiting (somewhat reluctantly) for her next set of instructions. So the woman turned to look back at the tall buildings lined up and down the street before them.

Bars and clubs lit up in the dark evening by moving neon lights flashing outside the buildings, advertising their services. The best strip of joints in Bahrdin City to begin a murder enquiry, apparently. So Becah raised a hand and motioned for her team to follow her.

The brunette wound her way between the fast moving citizens, her eyes focussed on the building closest to them. One that stood directly opposite their police air-vessel. ‘ _Bellah’s Bar_ ’. As Becah got nearer and reached out to push the door of the bar open, a suddenly memory flashed in her mind. A familiar memory.

Red hair. Then a running shower. And startling blue eyes.

This was a common memory to flash in her mind. But it wasn’t  _her_ memory. Becah was only thirty. And the setting of ‘her memory’ - based on the style of shower - was at least one hundred, if not one hundred and fifty, years ago.

But even so, this memory always filled Becah with an unusual warmth in her chest. Closely followed by confusion of course, as the memory couldn’t possibly be hers, despite how familiar it felt. Despite how much it calmed her.

The first time it had flashed in her mind, Becah had been eighteen years old. She’d been at her great grandmother’s house and on her old fashioned digital radio, an old old song had been playing. ‘ _Titanium_ ’ by David Guetta.

When Becah had explained to her great grandmother, in a rather embarrassed tone, about the three short things she’d seen, her great grandmother had simply smiled kindly. “Perhaps it’s a memory from a past life? Of you and your soulmate?” she’d said. And though Becah had rolled her eyes at the notion, a tiny niggle in her heart had her wondering…perhaps she  _was_  envisioning her soulmate?

Soulmates were a notion devised by the Government around thirty five years ago to fill people with hope. With the world going to shit, having something to search for and live for was what drove humans to be successful in an ever increasing disappointing and polluted world. A nationwide drive to give expectant mothers an injection that would pass down to their baby the biological data to recognise the ‘tug’ of their soulmate was introduced. That tug, taught in schools to ‘ _feel like home the second someone saw their soulmate’_ , was only knowingly recognised by that person when they turned eighteen years old. Until then it just brewed away within them.

Only two of every type of ‘biological data’ was created. Unique to the individual and their soulmate, wherever that other individual was in the country. And as a result, many eighteen year olds graduated from high school then set out in search of their soulmate. In search of that indescribable ‘tug’ they’d read about in the news and on the Internet.

With Becah’s handy ‘flashes’ reminding her of who she may have to look out for, her eyes were always peeled for tall handsome men with red hair and bright blue eyes. But whenever she spotted one, she didn’t feel a ‘tug’. She never felt at home.

The brunette shook her head and cleared her throat.

“You alright there, boss?” came one of her colleague’s voices and Becah nodded.

“Yeah.” she replied quickly before pushing into the bar.

The atmosphere within the building was nothing like she was expecting. It was busy, for one thing, with people of all walks of life stood around chatting and listening to the music being sung. The walls and ceilings boasted  _a lot_  of Christmas decorations. And the light around the place was very dim, save for a spotlight on the person up on stage.

It was in that moment, the voice of the singer trickled into Becah’s ears - midway through singing a very old classic from the 1950s, “ _I’ll Be Home For Christmas_ ”. It was also in that moment that Becah felt it. Her eyes rested upon a beautiful woman stood on stage. Her red hair flowing long down her back. Her bright blue eyes twinkling out at the crowd before her while she sang. Becah felt it. She felt that tug. She felt immediately at home.

“Want me to ask to see the manager?” another one of Becah’s colleagues asked. But the brunette was completely bowled over by the fact her soulmate was  _here_ , in this strange city, and was  _a_   _woman,_ that she wasn’t really concentrating on what had been suggested.

“Uh yeah. Yeah. You um…you go ahead, Hobart.” Becah replied in a distracted voice, before slowly wading her way between the crowd that stood between her and her destiny.

The woman continued, closer and closer. Her heart was hammering against her chest. Her mouth had gone dry it’d been hung open for so long. And her eyes…she hadn’t blinked for fear that she’d lose this beautiful girl forever.

Becah reached the stage and stood patiently beside it, staring up at the woman in wonder. And as the final line of the song was about to be sung, the redhead glanced Becah’s way and froze. Becah saw how the woman’s chest appeared to heave once, in one full swoop, as though her breath had caught in her lungs. And that’s when Becah knew. That’s when Becah knew her soulmate felt it too. That tug.

The backing music came to an end and the crowd cheered and clapped loudly. But Becah didn’t notice. Nor did the woman it seemed, who placed her microphone down on the piano top, not tearing her eyes from the detective once.

Becah stood still while her heart raced, watching as the redhead slowly made her way off the stage and over to her. Their eyes had remained locked from the second the woman had noticed her. It were as though they were both in some sort of trance.

“It’s you.” the girl croaked out, her mouth appearing as dry as Becah’s felt, and the brunette nodded.

“It’s you.” she echoed in reply.

For a couple of moments they just stood, completely stunned to have finally found one another. To finally understand what their teachers in high school had meant by telling them that when they knew who their soulmate was they’d just know. It was that simple.

“I’m Becah.” Becah said, holding her hand out to shake her soulmate’s. And she watched as a coy smile spread across the woman’s face.

“Khloe.” came the reply, and as their hands met they both let out sharp gasps of surprise while a warm tingle shot up their arms laying to rest on their rapidly beating hearts. They both chuckled nervously.

“I guess this is it, huh?” Khloe said, and Becah hummed in agreement, still captivated by the bright blue eyes twinkling back at her. It would be natural to challenge whether what they were feeling for one another in this moment was real or the result of scientific experimentation - after all, they were the first generation to go through the process. But the feeling in Becah’s heart was that she was sure nothing could ever go wrong now she’d finally found her soulmate.

Khloe had no idea yet that her soulmate was a new lead detective in the police force. Just as Becah had no idea that  _her_  soulmate was not only the daughter of the manager of this bar, but also the daughter of one of the city’s most sinister criminals…


	18. Snow Angel *mature*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca and Chloe in a 'friends with benefits' type situation..

Chloe’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as she felt Beca’s hot breath on her neck, the brunette’s tongue slipping across her skin from her jaw down to her collarbone. Any snow day at Barden was a welcomed break from heavy classes on campus. But this was Chloe and Beca’s first snow day since they’d started sneaking around.

The two co-captains had every intention of making the most of their housemates’ suggestion of going out to take part in a large snowball fight with The Treblemakers. And by ‘making the most’, the two woman planned on spending the next thirty minutes heavily making out in the corner of the empty kitchen. Out of sight from any windows whereby The Bellas might see them.

As Beca’s hand snuck up beneath Chloe’s pyjama top, the redhead let out a sharp gasp, her fingernails digging into the back of Beca’s head. This action caused a low groan to rumble from the back of Beca’s throat while her hand continued it’s acent to Chloe’s right breast.

This had all happened unintentionally. Them beginning a ‘ _friends with benefits_ ’ type arrangement. Beca had been casually mentioning at her bedroom desk one afternoon how she was missing out with Jesse being away in LA, and Chloe - who had been sat on Beca’s bed at the time flicking through a magazine - had said in a semi joking manner that she would certainly be able to help Beca out if the woman wanted.

After some awkward laughter and stuttering, Chloe had ended up suggesting that Beca at least let her kiss her, then the brunette could decide if it was a good idea or not. Needless to say the second Chloe’s lips had landed on Beca’s, Beca had immediately reached out to tug Chloe onto her lap and their kiss had deepened. Within minutes they were making out on Beca’s bed and the rest had been history.

Since that afternoon six weeks ago, Beca and Chloe had been stealing moments alone to make out with one another and - if they were certain they wouldn’t get caught - going even further. The ‘Experimenting’ box had certainly been ticked by the two, to the point that it was no longer embarrassing to see the other naked. No longer embarrassing to bring their faces and tongues down to areas of one another’s bodies that ‘just friends’ would never pay so much attention to.

“Think I’ve got time to…?” Beca breathed out, her hand sneaking down from Chloe’s breast and below the waistband of her pyjama bottoms. The moment Beca’s left hand cupped her mound, Chloe let out another sharp gasp and rocked her hips forward to contribute to the sexual pressure building between her legs.

“ _Yes_.” Chloe whispered, even though she wasn’t honestly sure if Beca did. They’d spent a little too long texting after The Bellas had gone outside, checking to see if the other was feeling horny enough to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for a quick fuck..

A louder groan echoed around the kitchen, this time from Chloe, as she snapped her head back and hit it against a cupboard door with a smack. But she didn’t wince. She didn’t feel any pain. Because Beca’s fingers had begun exploring the silky moisture between her legs, while her other hand cupped the back of her neck, and their lips met again while loud heavy kisses were placed on one another’s mouths.

Chloe ground harder and harder against Beca’s hand while her orgasm grew and the feel of Beca’s warm breath in her ear only surged her orgasm on. Chloe was in heaven. Nothing could ever stop this incredible feeling.

“ _Cum for me, Chlo_.” Beca mumbled into Chloe’s ear in a strict tone and it was exactly what she’d needed to hear. Because all of a sudden Chloe felt the barrier holding back her orgasm finally release, and waves of sexual pleasure flew up and down her body.

A loud moan of ecstasy fell from Chloe’s mouth just as Beca’s fingers stilled within her, and the redhead shot her hand up to her mouth to muffle the cry. A light chuckle fell from Beca’s mouth and the two looked into one another’s eyes. Neither dared tell the other how they truly felt. That they were falling in love with each other.

Chloe pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she dropped her hand from her mouth with a heavy sigh of relief and a calm smile. The brunette leant her face forward, placing a gentle kiss on Chloe’s mouth. She’d never been that loud around Beca before. But the knowledge that they were alone in the house was enough to assure her that she needn’t have worried.

Until she heard the sound of someone awkwardly clearing their throat from behind Beca. And it was in that instance, as Beca turned to see who had caught them, that Chloe’s entire world crashed down around her.

Jesse stood in stunned horror at the sight of his girlfriend pulling her hand from between Chloe’s legs and out of her waistband with a snap. The two women’s cheeks flushed red, their chests heaving due to the ‘fight or flight’ instinct racing through their bodies. And Beca cleared her throat awkwardly.

“I-I can explain.” she blurted.

Jesse shook his head gently in disbelief. Chloe fortunately felt Beca take a steadier step in front of her, as almost a way of protecting her. But just as Jesse opened his mouth to respond, Fat Amy burst into the house through the kitchen door, closely followed by the rest of The Bellas who guided a freezing looking Flo inside.

“Flo tried to break the record of ‘Snow Angels’ made in a row.” Stacie explained to the room, though her focus was entirely on the Guatemalan who was pale and a concerning shade of blue.

Chloe decided tending to her sick friend right now took a little more priority than trying to explain to Jesse why he’d caught her being screwed by  _his_  girlfriend. She strode over to the group who were helping Flo down at the kitchen table. And Chloe’s stomach twisted with nerves as she watched Beca leading Jesse out of the back door into the back yard, clearly ready for a tirade of questions that Chloe couldn’t help her answer..


	19. Christmas Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca realises a present Chloe gave her back in college actually contains far more than she'd originally thought..

Beca Mitchell wasn’t exactly the most observant of people. Wasn’t exactly one for picking up hints or looking for clues. But she did know a good Christmas Present when she received one.

And her most  _favourite_  Christmas Present she’d ever received was three years ago on her first Christmas after graduating from Barden University. A gift from Chloe (of course) who was the queen of gift-giving.

Beca remembered unwrapping that small box with a curious smile while Chloe had sat anxiously opposite her at the restaurant table they were sat around with the rest of The Bellas. And the brunette had been delighted to find a silver USB stick with her name engraved on it.

“For all your incredible work yet to come.” Chloe had said softly, and Beca had looked up at her with tears building in her eyes. Completely overwhelmed by the thoughtful gift. Her best present.

To Beca’s dismay, however, she’d lost the USB stick within a month of being given it. But not before she’d had time to call Chloe to thank her again for such an amazing Christmas present.

Three years later and a move up to Brooklyn followed by a surprise move to LA (the latter due to an impromptu recording contract with DJ Kahled’s label) - Beca found herself rummaging through her belongings that had been moved to her new apartment. A far larger apartment then she’d ever lived in before. A fact that was warmly welcomed by her father who had been storing a couple of her ‘college’ boxes at his house after the brunette had moved from Atlanta up to New York.

Those boxes now lay before the brunette while she sat cross-legged on the floor of her new apartment. But suddenly Beca froze as her fingers found something at the bottom of one box. Something she thought had been lost long ago.

The silver USB stick, while a little dusty, still looked as good as new and Beca smiled gently. It immediately reminded her of Chloe. Her best friend. Her best friend who she hadn’t seen since moving away from Brooklyn four months ago.

Her heart thudded hard against her chest as she thought back to the emptional goodbye she’d shared with the redhead the night she’d left for JFK. They had spent the day wandering together around the neighbourhood they’d gotten to know for two years. Then had had dinner together in the evening before Beca had been wrapped in a tight warm hug by Chloe. And they’d stood in the middle of their mostly empty studio apartment - holding one another in silence. Savouring the final few minutes they had together before their lives changed forever.

Beca hadn’t had the confidence nor the recklessness to throw caution to the wind and tell Chloe how she felt about her. How she’d actually had a bit of a low-lying crush on Chloe back in college. A crush that’d grown into full blown secret love after two years of sharing a frikkin’ bed with the woman (through no real choice of their own - thanks again, Amy..)

It had been a very quiet few months. Not professionally. Professionally it had been  _crazy_. She’d not stopped. But when she returned ‘home’ each evening to her LA apartment it truly was eerily quiet. There was no chatter from her favourite bubbly redhead. There was no singing. No humming. No incredible smells of Chloe’s homemade meals to greet her from work. Just loneliness.

Curiosity got the better of Beca, the brunette wondering what mixes she’d put on this stick three years ago. After all, that was how Chloe had intended on Beca using it. For storing all her mixes.

So she slotted the USB into her TV, and smiled when she saw a bunch of music files crop up on the screen. She decided to play all of them while she busied herself with ordering some dinner. And as she listened, she also found herself casually looking through Instagram. Specifically Chloe’s Instagram. Just to see how her best friend was getting on in her first few months of vet school.

After a little while, Beca found her attention returning to her TV, wondering why no music was playing. And in an instant her eyes fell upon what looked like a typed letter. One of the files on the stick looked to be some sort of document. But Beca had never really checked the stick before, so had never read the ‘letter’ on the screen before her.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she edged closer to the large screen and began reading the words:

_To Beca,_

_Happy Christmas!_

_I hope you love this Present I bought you. I’ve had my eye on it for months so waiting to buy it for you has been torture (you know how much I hate waiting for things lol)._

_I wanted to take this time to tell you how much I miss you. Even though we’ve only been graduated five months, I’ve really missed our little routine with The Bellas. But I’ve particularly missed you._

_I know you and Jesse broke up not so long ago, and that it was because he didn’t share your vision for the future. But I just wanted to tell you that…if you needed to someone to be with you through the ups and downs, if you need someone to move across the country or the world with you just so you can make it in your dream career, if you needed someone to love you unconditionally and fight for you at every turn…then I can be that someone._

_Yes, that’s right, I’ve got a massive toner for you. And I know it’s horrible of me to be telling you at Christmas and to be telling you in a letter instead of face-to-face. But at least by telling you this way, you can hopefully take your time to let it all sink in. And hopefully you’ll find the time to tell me whether you’d like me to show you how much I love you. That you’d like me to join you in life’s journey and whatever it’ll throw at us._

_And if you don’t want any of that then I hope you can take the time to forgive me, to try to push past the awkwardness, and to hopefully go back to being best friends. Because I really miss you Beca and wish we lived closer so we could hang out more like we used to._

_Anyway, I’ve rambled. I hope this letter wasn’t too overwhelming._

_Take all the time you need to go over what I’ve said. And if and when you’re ready, I’ll be here._

_All my love, your Chloe x_

Beca swallowed loudly as the screen went blank then flicked to another mix on the USB. She felt numb as the words she’d just read raced through her mind. She’d had no idea Chloe felt that way. Had no idea that Chloe had  _ever_  felt that way. And before she knew what she was doing, she had her phone in her hand and was calling her somewhat-estranged best friend.

“Hey.” Beca greeted nervously, and a small smile poked onto her face as Chloe began rambling in a happy tone about how she’d been meaning to call her all week to see how she was but was too worried about disturbing the recording artist who was undoubtedly busy busy busy.

“I was wondering if you wanted to come to mine for Christmas?” Beca asked, her heart racing away with nerves now she knew exactly how Chloe felt about her. The redhead was well within her rights to say no. And the pause down the phone was enough for Beca to try to elaborate - trying not to sound too desperate, “It’s just it’s so quiet and lonely here and while I’m sure my Dad would love me to go to his for Christmas I don’t feel like I’d enjoy it as much as I would if I was with y-“

But before she could finish her sentence, Chloe immediately interrupted her with an excitable “I’d love to!”

—

Six weeks later and Chloe crept out of the guest bedroom she’d had her first night staying in. Peering down the corridor towards the main body of the large apartment. She furrowed her brow slightly, not overly sure whether the fairy lights lining the floor of the corridor like a runway had been there when she’d gone to bed. But then again, she and Beca  _had_  had quite a bit of wine last night - toasting their little reunion after four months apart.

The second Chloe had laid her eyes on the brunette at LAX, Beca’s huge grin beaming at her through the crowd at the arrivals gate, she’d felt that old tug in her heart. The one that reignited the strong seemingly unrequited love she’d had for Beca since college. The love that had simmered away in her chest through all the years that she’d known the woman. Through all the years that she’d lived with her and had been in love with her.

The love that had continued even after Chloe had confessed it to Beca in a letter - given to the brunette the first Christmas after graduation on an engraved USB stick. And yes, Beca  _had_  called a week later to say thank you. But after Chloe had asked her if she’d had a chance to think about what had been written, Beca had simply said in an awkward tone that it had ‘ _been a nice touch_ ’. With no further expansion. Which Chloe took as Beca telling her that she didn’t feel the same way.

But after a couple of months of chit-chat via text, Beca had called Chloe asking her if she wanted to move up to Brooklyn with her and Fat Amy. To which Chloe jumped at the chance. Anything to be close to Beca without making things awkward between them. And the following two years had been magical. The best two years of her life.

She and Beca had got to a stage where they’d been practically a couple - just without the romance. They’d attended events together as each other’s plus one, had made one another breakfast/lunch/dinner. And their routine in their new home with Fat Amy meant that Beca and Chloe acted more like wives than they ever had done before.

So naturally, when that all came to an end, Chloe had been heartbroken. And she’d cried a lot after Beca had left for LA, despite their perfect day spent alone together for the final time in Brooklyn. Mourning the loss of that stage in their friendship. As though she and Beca had just split up. Life as they knew it was never going to be the same again.

Chloe heard her favourite Christmas album playing gently from the lounge area of the apartment, down the end of the corridor. And as the sound of Michael Bublé trickled into her ears, Chloe slowly, curiously made her way quietly towards the music.

Once she reached the lounge, her eyes bulged a bit she was so impressed with the festive interior. The tree definitely hadn’t been so full of decorations last night. Just like there hadn’t been so many presents under the tree. And most curiously of all, there certainly hadn’t been a large present in the shape of a box under that tree..

Chloe approached it with mild caution, noting the huge label attached to it by the massive bow on top which read:

## Chloe, open me right away!

A small smile slowly wound its way onto Chloe’s mouth, and she stepped right up to the present, reaching out cautiously to tug at the bow. But no sooner had her fingertips reached to beautiful fabric, she let out a huge screech as the lid of the box suddenly popped open and Beca burst up from within.

“Merry Christmas!” Beca cried out and Chloe, who had fallen backwards onto the floor she’d been so shocked, began laughing loudly - closely joined by Beca’s laughter while she stood within the large box.

The sound was like music to Beca’s ears having had to endure a terribly quiet apartment for months. And Chloe was literally and figuratively bowled over by Beca’s big surprise. She’d never known the woman to do this the whole 7 years she’d known her.

“Come on, dude.” Beca said with a chuckle while she clambered out of the box, standing tall and reaching her hand out for her best friend who was still on the floor giggling. Chloe took it, getting to her feet and dusting down her Christmas pyjamas.

“I gotcha huh?” Beca checked with a grin and Chloe beamed back at her.

“You  _really_  got me!” Chloe replied with a chuckle, “Best Christmas Present ever!”

“Speaking of…” came Beca’s response and Chloe watched while Beca turned to reach into the large box, “I have a bit of a confession to make.” Chloe’s eyes spied a small wrapped box in Beca’s hands and an envelope, “I kinda lost the amazing present you gave me three years ago.”

Chloe furrowed her brow. Was she talking about the USB stick? The one that held Chloe’s biggest secret in a letter on it? Why did Beca feel guilty about that? Sure, it’d cost Chloe quite a bit of money that she didn’t really have. And yes she’d poured her heart and soul into that letter. But Beca had already told her what she thought of it. That it was ‘ _nice_ ’.

She watched as Beca returned before her, seemingly shuffling her feet on the spot nervously.

“But I found it again last month in one of the boxes that’d been at Dad’s.” Chloe took the gift and envelope as it was held out to her, then looked up into her best friends eyes.

“I actually hadn’t ever looked at what was  _on_  the stick? I’d just kinda…put mixes on it? So I looked on it when I found it again and…” Chloe’s heart banged loudly in her ears as she just about heard Beca finishing the sentence with a “…I found your letter to me.”

The apartment fell silent while Chloe blinked slowly, staring at the gift and envelope in her hands. Beca hadn’t read the letter when Chloe had written it for her? That was  _three years ago_. They’d been through so much since.

“I’d really like it if you could read this first.” Beca said, motioning to the envelope, “It’d be awkward if I was here when you did though so…I’m gonna go make some breakfast for us and…you just find me when you’re ready, yeah?”

Chloe nodded gently, her eyes still on the envelope which had her name written on it in Beca’s handwriting. She saw out of her periphery, her best friend slowly walking away through to the kitchen. ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ was now playing. One of Chloe’s favourite tracks on Michael Bublé’s Christmas album. And the redhead took a deep breath before slowly undoing the envelope, then pulling out a typed letter.

_Chloe,_

_I’m sorry to be writing a reply to your beautiful letter three years after you gave it to me. As I hope I would’ve explained in person to you, I hadn’t seen the letter until now (November - when I’m writing this reply to you)._

_I’m sorry, when you asked me what I thought of the ‘words’ I thought you meant the engraving on the side of the stick. Now I realise you meant the letter. And I was an idiot and definitely didn’t give you the answer you’d hoped for. In fact, I’m sure I didn’t._

_So I’m going to answer it now._

_Those words? They were everything I’ve ever wanted to read from you. I’ve been in love with you for such a long time and stupidly thought you didn’t feel the same way because why would you? You’re Chloe._

_You’re beautiful, and funny, and clever, and confident, and amazing, and I couldn’t ever see you wanting to be with someone like me. Because I’m just Beca. Moody, unapproachable, boring, and predictable._

_But I’m in love with you. SO in love with you. And I’m so proud of you and all you’ve done._

_I get if things have changed over the three years since your letter. It’s okay if you just want to be best friends or whatever. I’m happy as long as you’re in my life and I’m in yours._

_Because I’ll always be yours._

_Love Beca x_

Chloe’s breath caught in throat as she re-read the final line of the letter. Beca was  _in love_  with her!

The redhead swiped a tear from the corner of her eye and turned to look over to the doorway that led into the large kitchen. There Beca stood with her back to Chloe, busy gathering ingredients for what looked to be homemade pancakes.

With a heavy sigh that only served to help the wave of contentment wash over her body, Chloe slowly wandered into the kitchen, her eyes on nothing but the brunette stood in the Christmas pyjamas that Chloe had given her as a Christmas Eve present last night. She watched as Beca paused her movements then after a couple of beats looked over at Chloe who had stopped beside her.

A soft smile spread across Beca’s face the second she saw the small smile on Chloe’s face and the tear rolling down the redhead’s cheek.

“You want this?” She asked, her index finger pointing down at the ingredients. The question held so much more meaning than just breakfast though. It was to see if Chloe wanted her. If Chloe still felt the same way as she had done three years ago. If Chloe wanted to give them a go. If Chloe wanted to date Beca as much as Beca wanted to date Chloe.

And Chloe drew her bottom lip between her teeth with a sniff and a small nod, “Uhuh.” she mumbled lightly with a shy smile.

Seeing it caused Beca’s own shy smile to broaden slightly, and for a moment they held one another’s gaze before Beca gave one firm nod, turning to look back down at the ingredients.

“Cool. Me too.”

The two best friends let out light content sighs followed by nervous chuckles while Chloe hopped up onto the kitchen worktop to watch while Beca made their breakfast. And with every stolen glance came the unspoken promise that this was going to be their best Christmas yet.


	20. Christmas Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bellas visit Beca in LA..

Beca sat awkwardly on the edge of her couch, restricted by the tight black dress she’d stupidly slipped on earlier. Her chest felt tight and she was fully aware that her cleavage was on show. But she ploughed on regardless, trying to act casual.

“You alright there, Beca?” Fat Amy asked with a grin, still a little bemused by the choice in outfit on a Sunday.

Beca cleared her throat awkwardly, giving a curt nod, “Uhuh.”

She looked at her group of friends all gathered in her lounge. What were The Bellas  _doing_  here?? Unannounced. And seemingly unbothered by the fact that they hadn’t called in advance before turning up on the doorstep of her LA mansion.

“Do you…is that normally what you wear on a Sunday?” Stacie asked in a curious tone, a teasing smile on her face, and Beca felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Oh God.

“No.” She quickly replied, glancing briefly over at the closed closet door nearby, before looking down at her uncharacteristic choice in outfit, “It’s just this morning I thought I’d…try something on. Then you guys turned up.”

“You were just…trying dresses on.” Aubrey asked suspiciously.

“Uhuh.”

“Dresses like that.”

“Yee-ep.”

As she looked back over at her friends they all smiled suspiciously at her. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by any of them that Chloe had insisted that she wouldn’t be joining them in visiting Beca this weekend. Chloe who seemed to talk to Beca every day, even with Beca’s busy schedule.

Beca shuffled awkwardly on the couch, trying to pull the short tight black dress down, “I don’t know why you guys never call before making the-“ but she stopped as a sudden clatter was heard from within the nearby closet, “-trip…”

Beca’s eyes immediately snapped from the closet to The Bellas, who had now all turned to look at the closed door.

“Is someone else here?” Emily asked Beca and The Bellas all turned to look at the petite brunette.

Beca was busy panicking, knowing  _exactly_  who else was here. Knowing exactly who she’d quickly shoved into the closet when the front door had opened and Fat Amy had strode into the house uninvited - closely followed by the rest of The Bellas.

“N-No.” she lied, her eyes flickering from the closet door to her friends who all looked at her with expressions that Beca knew meant they didn’t believe her. Of course they didn’t believe her. Because there was another small clatter and before Beca could do anything, Fat Amy had shot up to her feet and strode over to the door.

Light gasps were heard as Chloe tumbled out of the closet in as equally a tight short dress as Beca. The redhead looked embarrassed as she glanced at The Bellas, “Oh uh…h-hey ladies.”

And in an instant Beca rose to her feet, pulling her own dress down to straighten it out. But the gasps hadn’t come because Chloe had been in Beca’s closet the whole time. There were gasps because Chloe boasted three large love bites on her neck.

“We were um…” Beca began, looking to Chloe who slowly wandered over to her side. But before she could come up with a reason for Chloe hiding in her closet, their friends finished her sentence for her.

“Making out?”

“Having a secret fling?”

“Experimenting?”

“Being lesbians?”

Beca and Chloe hesitated. So yes, Chloe  _had_  arrived in LA two weeks ago because it was now Christmas vacation at the Vet School she attended. And yes, whenever she got vacations she went to Beca’s. Because Beca was her home. And, unbeknownst to their friends who were currently looking at them in pleasant disbelief, Beca and Chloe had started a serious committed romantic relationship with one another a year ago today.

Which was why they were dressed so nicely. Because Beca had suggested they have a classy breakfast before they ripped one another’s clothes off each other and spent the rest of their anniversary in bed together..

Beca let out a sharp sigh, her eyes fluttering closed while her heart thudded away. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous about telling them. They were her family.

“Me and Chloe are-“

“-dating?” Fat Amy quickly interrupted, and both Beca and Chloe glanced at one another, small smiles growing on their faces.

“It’s actually more serious than that.” Chloe replied, her eyes not leaving her girlfriend’s gaze while she reached out to take Beca’s hand.

“Like…I got Chloe a puppy for Christmas kind of serious.” Beca added, and their smiles broadened as they looked back over at their friends who all beamed at them in wonder.

And while Beca and Chloe had both been rather nervous about telling The Bellas about their serious relationship, they’d always known the nine other women would’ve been thrilled for them. So it came as no surprise that their friends all rose to their feet to pull them into a group hug, singing out their congratulations.

“Wait!” Emily cried out and they all slowly peeled from around Beca and Chloe, “Where’s this puppy??”

The women all fell silent and suddenly a very light ‘tap-tap-tap’ was heard. The sound of little claws on hard flooring. And The Bellas all turned towards the kitchen to see a puppy curiously making its way over to Beca and Chloe, stopping at their feet to look over at the visitors.

[Originally posted by puuuugo](https://tmblr.co/ZGbf6e2KoznXl)

And in one voice, The Bellas all let out an identical “Awww!”

Needless to say the unique surprise of Beca and Chloe’s romance was quickly pushed to the back of everyone’s minds the second ‘Ralph’ was scooped up by Emily, and The Bellas all took turns cuddling him. Beca and Chloe had to admit, they were really rather relieved.


	21. Decorations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca Beale gets home to find that her wife and child have already picked out a Christmas tree..

Beca Beale slipped through the front door of her Connecticut home with a heavy sigh of relief. She was home. Finally.

It had been a long week away in LA and while she’d enjoyed the warmth of December there, she’d hated having to work and had deeply missed her wife and daughter. Particularly when Chloe had sent photos of Abbie to her every couple of hours.

Now though, she was home, and could enjoy a week away from work for the Christmas break. A few days with her perfect little family, then with her extended family on her wife’s side. The best time of year in Beca’s opinion.

Suddenly a familiar squeaky voice called out to her with a familiar set of little feet following. The brunette grinned as her daughter careered from the lounge to the lobby where Beca was now crouched. The three year old, beaming brightly at her, threw herself into her Mama’s open arms and Beca hugged her tight.

“Hey Twinkle!”

“Missed you, Mama.” the child mumbled into Beca’s ear and Beca felt as though she could melt right there and then. She loved her daughter to pieces and the older she got the cuter she got.

“Missed you too kiddo.” Beca replied, Abbie peeling herself from the embrace to smile at her excitably, “You been good for Mommy?”

“Uhuh!” The three year old nodded confidently, “We been decorating!”

“Oh you have, have you?” Beca asked, opening her face wide in mock surprise which caused Abbie to get that little bit more excited.

“Yeah! Come look!!”

And Beca let out a light chuckle as her little girl dragged her through to the lounge. She’d lived in this house for over four and a half years, so it didn’t surprise her in the slightest to see every decoration under the sun around the room, including a large Christmas tree. Her wife  _loved_ Christmas. But upon seeing the size of the tree, Beca frowned.

“Chloeeeee…” she said in a suspicious tone and after a short pause she saw her wife appear in the doorway between the lounge and the kitchen. Closely followed by Alba, their Labrador, who had been  _very_ protective of Chloe in recent months.

“Hey babe!” the redhead chimed with a forced-innocent smile on her face and a casual tone. Beca rose her eyebrows at her suspiciously.

“Please don’t tell me you put that tree up on your own.”

“Umm…”

“Baaaaabe!” Beca whined, rolling her eyes at how stubborn her wife was, “You’re supposed to be taking it easy!”

“I know.” Chloe said with a shrug, waddling into the lounge with Alba, while boasting a large pregnant belly, “But this tree was just too pretty not to buy on the spot and the sellers strapped it to the top of the car for me.”

“Yeah but you had to  _un_ strap it, babe. Then drag it into the house.  _Then_  prop it up!” Beca let out a heavy sigh of disbelief as she looked back over at the tree with a light shake of her head. Yeah, it did look beautiful. But it wasn’t worth the risk Chloe would’ve put their unborn baby under to get the bloody thing in the house in the first place!

“Do you not like the tree, Mama?” Abbie asked in her little voice and Beca looked down at the three year old. The kid who looked  _so much_ like her.

“Oh, sweetheart, no I  _love_  the tree.” Beca explained in a soft tone, kneeling down beside her daughter to take her hands and look her directly in the eye, “I just didn’t like that Mommy could’ve got hurt putting it in our house.”

“Auntie Amy helped.” The three year old replied, “And Auntie Aubrey. And Auntie Stacie.  _And_  Auntie Emily!”

Beca hesitated, “Oh.” then looked up sheepishly at her wife who was looking down at her with an amused smile.

“You didn’t really think I’d put this tree up on my own did you?” Chloe asked in an amused tone and Beca cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Um..”

“The girls would’ve  _killed_  me!” Chloe added with a light chuckle and Beca rose to her feet, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. “I’m still being sensible, babe.” Chloe added in a softer tone, taking her wife’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I know.” Beca mumbled, “I just worry cause there’s nothing I can do to help you grow our baby..”

An affectionate smile swept over Chloe’s face and she leant towards her wife, nudging the tip of her nose against the tip of Beca’s, “You do far more than you realise, Mrs Beale.”

“I missed you.” Beca mumbled.

“I missed you too.”

And just as the two wives shared a soft kiss, they heard a rustling by the Christmas tree, followed by a light bark from Alba (who was sat at Chloe’s feet). The women broke apart and looked over at the tree just in time to see their daughter pluck a chocolate decoration from one of the branches.

Abbie quickly brought her hands - and the chocolate - back down before looking over innocently at her mothers.

“Just one?” She asked in her sweet tone and Beca and Chloe both sighed, knowing full well it was dinner very soon.

“No.” they replied in unison. And as Abbie grumpily put the decoration back on the tree, the two mothers began wandering through to the kitchen together.

“Alba, keep watch.” Beca ordered down at her dog, using the motion she’d trained the Labrador to know that meant ‘guard Abbie’. And Alba did as she was told, sitting by the door so she could keep a watch on all three of her owners.

Too many people found it amusing that Beca had trained their dog to notify them when their chocoholic three year old was trying to sneak a chocolate decoration from the Christmas tree. But it had proved to be a useful technique last year. Just as it was apparently proving to be useful this year too..


	22. Christmas At Hogsmede

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the Harry Potter AU I've been writing one shots for..

The woodland area surrounding Hogsmede was silent save for the sound of two pairs of boots crunching through the snow. Beca and Chloe wandered happily alone together, hand in hand, making the most of the very few occasions that they were able to be out and about and affectionate without being seen.

It had been a fairly uneventful few months since beginning their fifth year, save for the Dementors that skulked around the Hogwarts grounds to ‘protect’ the school. Dementors that sucked most happiness from all students so that really there was little more to look forward to than the Christmas break. As the two fifth years continued on, they smiled gently, stealing glances at one another.

Miraculously the Gryffindor and the Slytherin had managed to keep their relationship relatively secret. The only people who knew were Professor McGonagall (who had caught them down one of the corridors in their second year), Harry Potter (the kid a couple of years below them who had no idea who they were and had happened to be by McGonagall’s side when she’d caught them), and Fred & George Weasley.

Oh and through sheer clever observation, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher: Professor Lupin..

_Beca swallowed loudly, shuffling slightly on the spot. This was mad. This was the maddest ‘activity’ ANY professor had set in class. Practicing patronus’. On something that had been transfigured into a dementor. Not an actual dementor of course, but it looked bloody realistic. It FELT realistic._

_But apparently, according to Professor Lupin, Dumbledore had insisted the older year groups learnt how to cast a patronus to help protect the school if necessary. Though at fifteen years old Beca couldn’t possibly see HOW she’d ever be able to ‘protect the school’._

_“Now then Ms Mitchell, focus hard on the task in hand. Think of something that fills you with happiness. Then when you’re ready, cast your patronus using the incantation ‘Expecto Patronum’.” Professor Lupin said in a clear voice from the edge of the classroom. Beca glanced over her shoulder at her classmates who were all gathered far back behind her, looking at her in anticipation._

_Discovering what animal your patronus took shape as was one of the most exciting discoveries after being sorted into your house in first year. Each student in the class had already taken their turn at casting a patronus. Many hadn’t been very successful, such as The Weasley twins. Some had produced a fair patronus which, Professor Lupin said, would bat away one dementor but probably no more than that - Aubrey Posen being one of those students whose patronus of a Viper had caused many to whisper amongst themselves._

_It was Chloe Beale’s patronus that had caused the most confusion, however. While most of the class had expected Chloe’s patronus to take the form of a scorpion or spider or something relatively sinister, Beca had more than expected her secret girlfriend’s patronus to take the form of a badger - the girl’s true house had she not been attached to Aubrey in first year._

_To everyone’s shock, including Chloe’s, the patronus she produced was of a large and beautiful lioness. Certainly the strongest patronus cast so far and in the form of an animal that had the Weasley twins joking that she was really a Gryffindor in disguise. A joke that had caused Beca to give them a warning glare, to which they quickly stopped grinning._

_Now Beca stood before a wardrobe and as her Professor opened the door with his wand, she took a deep breath and thought about how beautiful Chloe’s eyes were. The dementor swooped out towards her, sucking any happiness from the room, and Beca heard her classmates take a couple of steps back._

_“Expecto Patronum!” Beca bellowed, her wand held out to the dementor as she thought about how perfect Chloe’s laugh sounded._

_Her patronus shot from the end of her wand and gathered before her. Building bigger and bigger. Higher and higher. Until it hung high above her head. High and strong. Beca looked to it and her stomach scrambled._

_Her patronus was an adult lion._

_Beca and Chloe were the only two students to have a common patronus. Beca feared that it meant she and Chloe were connected far greater than they’d realised. Feared because their classmates might figure out their secret. Feared because AUBREY might figure out their secret._

_But as her patronus charged for the dementor, forcing it away, Professor Lupin clapped his hands loud and clear, the ‘dementor’ shot into the wardrobe again, and everyone’s attention was gained._

_“Well, that’s it for today class. A good session. One which we may find time to repeat again.”_

_Beca found herself looking over nervously at Chloe who was focusing firmly on collecting her satchel and books. But the brunette could see on her girlfriend’s face that Chloe was worried. Beca dared to look over at Aubrey, but the woman’s expression was difficult to read because it looked as sour as usual. Who knew if the Slytherin had worked it out.._

_“Ms Mitchell, a word please.”_

_Beca swallowed loudly as she wandered over to her Professor who was looking at her curiously. Once the rest of the class had left, Professor Lupin unfolded his arms and leant back against a nearby desk. Beca was often perplexed by how casual he was for a DAtDA Professor._

_“Care to tell me what’s going on between you and Ms Beale?”_

_The classroom fell silent as Beca fiddled nervously with her wand that was within her hands. She looked down at her feet and cleared her throat._

_“We’ve been dating, sir.” she said awkwardly, looking back up at him, “We’ve been dating for three years.”_

_“Aha.” came the reply as Professor Lupin smiled kindly with a gentle nod, “And I assume by the way you interact in class that it’s still a secret?”_

_“Yes sir.”_

_“I can’t imagine it would go down too well with Ms Posen and the rest of your Slytherin classmates if it were to be revealed.”_

_“No sir.”_

_The classroom fell silent once again while the Professor appeared to mull over something as he looked out of the window._

_“You know what? When I was a student here at Hogwarts many moons ago, I was in the year below Niamh and Jorim Beale. They were both two of the kindest people you could ever meet. Very calm. Very polite. Always positive. Exactly how you would expect two Hufflepuffs to be.”_

_Beca hesitated, watching as her Professor’s eyebrows rose, still looking out of the window._

_“So I admit I was surprised when I found out that not only did I have their daughter in one of my classes, but that she was a Slytherin too.” Professor Lupin turned to look at Beca with a kind smile, “Clearly you see something beyond the colour of her robes.”_

_“She chose Slytherin to be with her best friend at the time.” Beca admitted with a small nod, “But there’s so much more to her than that house.”_

_“Mmm.” Lupin hummed in agreement, “Well I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that the reason your patronus’ are linked is because you feel greatly for Ms Beale. Or because she feels greatly for you. Or, in fact, you both feel so strongly for one another that your patronus’ compliment one another. Many great lovers in times gone by have patronus’ that match.”_

_Beca swallowed loudly. She knew how in love she was with Chloe. Had an idea of how in love Chloe was with her. But she hadn’t expected their magic to be connected in such a way. Their patronus’ were a physical representation of their love for one another. And it stunned her a little bit._

_“I’d be grateful if we didn’t practice the patronus charm again in class if that’s okay, Professor. Just in case Aubrey works it all out.”_

_Professor Lupin continued to smile kindly at her, nodding gently, “I agree. A wise decision.”_

_Beca felt a wave of relief wash over her body and she smiled gratefully at the man before stepping away to gather her books._

_“Oh and Ms Mitchell?”_

_Beca looked back over at her professor who seemed relatively serious:_

_“If you and Ms Beale needed time alone together, might a suggest the woodland area to the West of Hogsmede? It’s far enough from the beaten track that the two of you could walk together without being seen.”_

_“Oh um…thank you, sir.”_

_And with that Beca wandered out of the classroom with her brow slightly furrowed. She was surprised at how supportive the people who knew about her and Chloe were. They were a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. On paper they were never supposed to work. But in actuality they did. Perfectly._

“Hold on.”

Beca felt her hand being tugged by Chloe’s and she let out a light chuckle as the redhead guided her to a large tree, pushing her back gently until her body was flush against the bark of the large trunk. They were on the outskirts of the woodland area. This was the last chance they had to be together before going their separate ways - the influx of dementors to the area meant that there was only one available passage between Hogsmede and Hogwarts, and as a result Beca and Chloe were more likely to be caught on their way back to the castle.

The brunette let out a content sigh, her smile broad as she felt her girlfriend’s cool lips against her own, their respective breaths releasing from their noses and defrosting their chilly faces while they made out against the tree. Their arms wrapped around one another’s thick winter coats. Their faces rocking while their heads remained warm beneath their own winter hats.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Chloe mumbled against Beca’s lips and they both smiled as they gently parted.

“Meet me tomorrow at our usual hideout?” Beca suggested hopefully, even though tomorrow was Sunday. A day that they didn’t normally meet.

“If I meet you tomorrow then I’ll want to meet you every day. And if I meet you every day, you’ll get bored of me.” Chloe revealed, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth with a vulnerable expression. But Beca simply raised her hand to curl some of Chloe’s red hair behind her ear.

“ _Impossible_.” Beca whispered affectionately, before nudging her face up to the Slytherin’s and placing a firm, sure kiss on the girl’s lips, “I’ll never get bored of you for as long as I live.” she added with a mumble.

They stood together for a further few minutes, gently kissing in the snow, hidden from view. A bell sounded in the distance and the two Hogwarts students knew what that meant. It was the signal for all students to begin making their way back to the Castle.

Beca placed another assuring kiss on Chloe’s lips, “Tomorrow. Midday.” and with one final chaste kiss, she stepped away from the tree, heading for the main body of Hogsmede.

“I love you!” Chloe called after her with a grin and Beca turned on the spot, slowly walking backwards while she kept her eyes on the beautiful redhead.

“I love you too.” She called back. And the two lovers went their separate ways, wanting to ensure the secrecy of their ongoing romance.


	23. Secret Santa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca and Chloe get each other in The Bellas Secret Santa..

Beca jumped out of her skin as she heard a hand-bell being rung loudly up the stairs of The Bellas House, closely followed by Fat Amy’s voice bellowing from the bottom:

“Secret Santa Present time!!”

The brunette furrowed her brow glancing to her right. There Chloe sat beside her, in Christmas pyjamas, looking just as confused. They never opened Secret Santa presents before Christmas. In fact, The Bellas all opened their Secret Santa gifts when they were back home with their own families.

She watched as Chloe shrugged then slid off the edge of the bed, and Beca followed her, the two co-Captains slowly making their way to the door of Chloe’s bedroom and stepping out. They were met by Stacie who simply grinned at them while dashing excitably from her bedroom to the stairs, chiming out a playful “Race you!” before dashing down to the lounge.

Beca and Chloe glanced at one another then made their way downstairs. The sound of the others Bellas gathering made Beca feel all the more confused. Why were they getting together for ‘Secret Santa Presents’?? Was it to just hand them out so they all remembered to take them home for Christmas?

But as she turned the corner and saw her friends knelt around a pile of presents in the middle of the room, her stomach sank. There was something bigger happening here..

“Shawshank, this one’s yours.”

Beca took the gift held out to her by Fat Amy and was internally panicking so much that they were going to have to open their gifts in front of The Bellas that she didn’t notice the colour fall from Chloe’s face. Because Chloe had also been handed her gift. And she’d also realised what was about to happen.

The brunette looked awkwardly at the present in Chloe’s hands. The present  _she’d_  provided. The present that wasn’t for anyone’s eyes but Chloe’s. Her heart began to thump against her chest. Here’s hoping none of The Bellas honed in on it once it was opened..

Ten minutes of present unwrapping later and Flo had a beautiful scarf, Stacie had a new pair of fluffy handcuffs, Cynthia Rose had a pack of brand new sketching pencils, and Fat Amy had a set of luxury hot chocolate mixes.

Beca hesitated as The Bellas all turned to Chloe, and the redhead slowly opened her present from ‘Santa’. Her face immediately flushed as she read the front of the small booklet she’d just unwrapped and Beca felt like throwing her face into her hands in embarrassment.

“ _Sex_  vouchers??” Fat Amy read loudly, having peered over Chloe’s shoulder and The Bellas all turned to Beca who had now brought her hand to her forehead, glancing apologetically at Chloe.

“Beca Mitchell, I had  _no_   _idea_  you had it  _in_  you!” Stacie said with a huge teasing grin on her face.

Beca winced, her eyes still on Chloe’s face, but to her surprise, a small smile slowly crept onto Chloe’s face.

“Open yours.” she said, motioning down at the gift in Beca’s hands, “Trust me.”

And Beca  _did_  trust her. She trusted her with everything. Her mind, her soul, her  _body_. Chloe was the perfect girlfriend. Beca adored her.

So she slowly unwrapped the gift that was suspiciously a similar size and flexibility of the paperback voucher book she’d bought Chloe. True enough, and to Beca’s surprise, her gift was also a small booklet titled ‘Sex Vouchers’ and Beca grinned. Great minds..

“ _Double_  the amount of sex vouchers??” Cynthia Rose blurted, and The Bellas all giggled while Beca and Chloe looked at one another with big smiles. Clearly they knew one another better than they thought. They’d only been dating a few months..

To Beca and Chloe’s horror, Fat Amy quickly snatched Chloe’s ‘Sex Voucher’ booklet and began flicking through it. Beca lunged for it, but the Australian was too quick. A huge grin wiped over Amy’s face:

“Ice cubes to be used in foreplay?” she read and The Bellas all let out one long harmonious “oooOOOooooo..” while Cynthia Rose let out a wolf whistle.

“Amy give it back!” Beca demanded, but the booklet was passed out of her reach and over to Cynthia Rose who turned the page and read:

“Submissive wearing handcuffs and blindfolded!”

Squeals came from the girls in the lounge while Beca and Chloe became more embarrassed, both now with their hands to their faces as Stacie held up her own handcuffs and threw them into Chloe’s lap with a loud giggle.

“You’ll need those then!” she teased before Cynthia Rose passed the booklet over to her. Beca’s stomach sank as she saw Stacie’s eyes light up at the next voucher.

“Lick from the ankle, up the inside leg, until you reach the core!”

The Bellas all turned back to Beca who looked down awkwardly at her own ‘sex voucher’ booklet. That was one she enjoyed the idea of Chloe indulging in. But she hadn’t ever wanted The Bellas to know.

“The core?” Flo asked with a furrowed brow and a grinning Cynthia Rose turned to the Guatemalan to whisper something in her ear. Flo’s eyebrows rose and a light “Ohhh” left her mouth.

The booklet was passed to her and a smile graced her face as she flicked to another voucher, “Use a vibrator in foreplay.”

Again, The Bellas squealed in delight, and Beca felt sure she couldn’t get any redder in the face. God this was so embarrassing! She glanced at Chloe who was also a fine shade of pink, and Beca felt assured that at least her girlfriend - who was often very confident - was embarrassed about this too.

The booklet was passed on and Emily nervously glanced down at the next page, the colour draining from her face. The Bella’s leant a little closer to the youngest member. The freshman. Poor, innocent, eighteen year old Emily. Even Beca and Chloe hesitated anxiously at what the girl might be about to read out.

“W…Wear a strap-on and take me from behind?”

The room fell silent save for a couple of gasps when Emily awkwardly turned to booklet to show the group that it hadn’t been printed like the previous pages. This one had been  _hand-written_.

Even Chloe turned to Beca with a look of surprise, though hers was more of  _pleasant_  surprise than their friends’ current look of horror. Beca was left with little option other than to shrug with an awkward expression. That really was the most explicit voucher in the bookle-

“ _I’ll_  wear the strap-on and take  _you_  from behind!” Ashley read out with a loud laugh, and The Bellas all looked over to see Ashley rock backwards as she laughed, the page now opened on another handwritten voucher. Ahhh shit…Beca had forgotten about that one.

“Okay that’s enough, give it to Chloe!” Beca said in a tone that showed just how unimpressed she now was by this teasing. But it only served to make her fellow seniors (and Emily) laugh harder.

“I think it’ll be  _you_  who’ll be ‘giving it’ to Chloe!” Stacie teased and Cynthia Rose reached over to high-five her while Fat Amy nudged Chloe with a wink.

“Sounds like you’re in for a busy night, Red.”

And Chloe let out a light groan, rolling her eyes with an amused smile. But Beca had had enough.

“Right, that’s it.” the brunette said, throwing her hands in the air then rising up to her feet, not daring to catch the eyes of any of The Bellas who had stopped laughing, “I’m out of here.”

“Nooooo!” The girls in the room whined but Beca had already made her decision, strode out of the lounge and back upstairs.

Chloe let out a light sigh, raising her eyebrows at their friends with a soft sigh, “Not cool, ladies.” and The Bellas all looked at her apologetically.

—

Beca sat on the bed in a grump, folding her eyes while she looked up at the ceiling. She’d only been 80% committed to getting Chloe that booklet. Had thought it was a huge risk in the first place. But knew her girlfriend enough to know that Chloe would probably enjoy some of the activities within it that they hadn’t experimented with before.

After several minutes of stewing over how irritated she felt, she heard the door of the bedroom slowly open. The bedroom she was currently laying in. Chloe’s bedroom.

Beca saw her girlfriend quietly step into the room, closing the door behind her with a calm expression on her face. Beca had no idea how her girlfriend could be so calm. That moment downstairs had been utterly mortifying for them both!

Chloe laid on the bed beside her with a gentle sigh and they both remained silent for a couple of minutes until Chloe dared to begin a conversation.

“One hell of a Secret Santa gift, babe.” she said in an amused tone.

“Yeah well it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Beca grumbled and she felt Chloe prop her upper body up on her elbow, turning to look at her.

“It’s  _still_  a good idea.” Chloe insisted, reaching out to twiddle one of the buttons on Beca’s top, “I got you the same present, remember? That means we’re on the same page. It means we’re both ready for the same things… _sexually_.”

Beca turned to look at her girlfriend’s beautiful bright blue eyes and she raised her own eyebrows, “Yeah, but I included ‘strap-on’ vouch-“

But Chloe interrupted her quickly with an amused smile on her face, “-And you don’t think I included a ‘strap-on’ voucher in yours?”

Beca swallowed loudly, hesitating for a moment before muttering, “Did you?”

She watched as Chloe reached over her body to pick Beca’s unwrapped ‘Sex Voucher Booklet’, and turned to a page towards the back. With a light chuckle, she showed Beca a hand-written voucher that said about the voucher holder being submitted to ‘sensual strap-on sex’…whatever the ‘sensual’ part meant.

Beca’s eyes widened then a small smile poked into the corners of her mouth, “Seriously?”

“Uhuh?”

“You’d be down with trying that out?”

“I’d be down with trying all these vouchers out.” Chloe confirmed in a low tone that Beca recognised as a tone that her girlfriend used when she was feeling horny, “From my book  _and_  yours.”

Beca grinned, immediately launching her body up from the bed to topple on top of the redhead and Chloe let out a giggle while they shared a piercing deep kiss.

“I don’t have a strap-on.” Beca admitted after a moment, glancing apologetically from Chloe’s lips up to her eyes. But Chloe simply smiled and shrugged.

“There’s always the sales after Christmas?”


	24. Sadie Hawkins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A prequel to 'Snow Angel'..

Chloe stood nervously, twirling a small 50’s style handbag between her fingers, rocking back and forth on her heels. Her red hair was styled into a stunning retro fifties look, and she wore bright red lipstick that was only enhanced by the innocent light pink of her ‘Pink Ladies’ jacket.

So this was a Sadie Hawkins dance, yes. But Chloe believed herself to be the only girl here who hadn’t  _actually_  asked her ‘date’ to this thing. And she was definitely the only girl here who had no idea who the guy was. It had all been the arranging of Jesse Swanson of all people.

—  **One Week Earlier**  —

“Hey Chloe.”

“Um..” Chloe began, her eyebrows rising in surprise while she stirred a wooden spoon through the homemade soup she was currently preparing for herself and The Bellas for lunch, “..Hey Jesse! Everything okay?”

Jesse  _never_  contacted Chloe. Ever. There had only been one time, around a year ago, when Beca had been out with The Bellas and her phone battery had died. Chloe had actually been the one to contact him first to let him know. And all he’d replied with was an “ _OK. Thanks._ ” That had been it. So to get a call from him out of the blue was very odd indeed.

“Yeah, I hear you’re in need of a date for this Sadie Hawkins dance next week?”

Chloe felt her cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment. She’d never had a problem with getting a date before. But for some reason, the only guys left in the current senior year - who were all unfortunately a couple of years younger than her - seemed completely intimidated by her bright smile and forward nature. None of them had agreed to go to this dance with her. And as a result, Chloe was completely and utterly dateless.

“Yeah unfortunately so..” she said, keeping her tone low while she looked over her shoulder at her friends who were all gathered around the kitchen table, picking up warm slices of the freshly baked bread she’d not long pulled out of the oven. She noticed Beca walking into the kitchen, the brunette’s eyes lighting up at the sight of the bread on the table.

“Well I know someone who’s also dateless but really wants to take you. Interested?”

Chloe turned back to the soup, her heart racing a little faster as her face lit up, “Seriously?”

“Unless you don’t want to then I can always go back to them and-“

“-No!” Chloe blurted quickly, and she noted the way her friends fell silent behind her. Chloe cleared her throat awkwardly, adding, “No I’d…I-I’d love to go with him.”

“Great.” Jesse replied in a surprisingly light tone, “I’ll be in touch with further details.”

Chloe ended the call and let out a huge breath of air. Then she turned on the spot to face The Bellas with a huge smile on her face.

“I’ve got a blind date to the Sadie Hawkins!”

And The Bellas all cooed and squealed in excitement for her. Except for Beca, who stood towards the back with a massive grin on her face, looking as though she’d just won the lottery.

—  **One Week Later**  —

Next to a painted wooden cutout of the ‘Grease Lightning’ car, Chloe stood patiently, trying to hold herself back from biting her bottom lip and ruining her lipstick. She’d really had to hold herself back from getting too excited about the prospect of potentially meeting ‘the one’ at this Sadie Hawkins dance. It didn’t help that her parents had met at a Sadie Hawkins back in college.

The redhead peered at all manner of male seniors, dressed up as T-Birds, trying to work out if any of them were alone. Trying to work out if any of them were approaching her. But none of them were or did. As the minutes ticked on, her heart began to drop.

The Bellas had excitably left her here twenty minutes ago to go off in search of their Sadie Hawkins dates. Beca hadn’t even come, stating the dance was ‘dumb’.

Chloe let out another sigh, plucking her phone from her small purse and re-reading the text Jesse had sent her. He’d specifically stated the guy who would be her date would meet her at the ‘Grease Lightning’ car cutout at 8.30. Well it was now fast approaching 8.50. How long could she stand here looking like a complete loser, waiting for someone who had every potential to not even show up-

“Hey.”

Chloe looked up from her phone and had to do a double-take. Her mouth went dry and should couldn’t help her jaw from dropping. There, stood before her in a slim-fitting white top that accentuated her ample boobs, a black leather jacket, black tight pants, some killer shiny black shoes, and her beautiful dark brown hair slicked back, was  _Beca_! The younger woman had a side-grin tugging at her red-stained lips, and Chloe felt certain her own heart skipped a beat. Beca looked  _hot_!

“Sorry I’m late. My hair took way longer to do than I expected.”

Chloe furrowed her brow for a moment, long enough for Beca’s smile to grow:

“Jesse never told you it was me, did he.”

And suddenly Chloe’s heart soared.  _Beca_  was her mystery date to the Sadie Hawkins!

—  **One Week Earlier**  —

“So I’m gonna ask your permission for something. And it’s gonna sound weird. But…just don’t stop me until I explain my reason behind it.”

Beca was busy pacing up and down her attic bedroom, her phone in one hand held to her ear, and her other hand folded across her stomach. It was the beginning of November. One week before ‘ _Barden’s Senior-Year Sadie Hawkins Dance_ ’. And The Bellas house had been a hive of activity since the announcement of this year’s theme: ‘Grease’. ‘Pink Ladies’ jerseys had been bought en-mass by the women, and evening discussions of how to have their hair styled was prime topic of conversation. That and who each Bella was going to invite to the dance of course.

That was the whole point of a ‘Sadie Hawkins’. The girl got to pick the guy to ask out to the dance, unlike other dances where the guy traditionally asked the girl.

Beca - having already had a boyfriend who happened to be studying away in LA at that present moment in time - had been far less than excited about the impending event that none of The Bellas were going to allow her to get away with missing. She didn’t want to ask a guy to the dance. Even if it was someone as innocent as Benji (who Jessica had actually already asked anyway..)

“O-kaaay?” Jesse said down the phone to Beca, a little curious about her desire to ‘ask his permission’ for the first time ever.

Beca let out a sharp breath of air, stopping on the spot and squeezing her eyes shut. She just needed to get this over and done with.

“Is it okay if I ask Chloe to this dumb ‘Sadie Hawkins’ dance thing?”

Her heart was almost ripping from her chest she was so nervous. Chloe had come home three times this week alone -  _three times_ \- in tears because each boy she’d asked to the dance were already taken. Now she was running the risk of attending the thing alone.

“Wha-?” Jesse began, but was quickly cut off by Beca who furrowed her brow. He’d promised she could explain why.

“-She keeps asking guys and they keep turning her down and you know how insecure Chloe can be. Better I ‘take’ one of my best friends, right? Instead of asking some random dude?”

“Sounds like there aren’t many dudes left if  _Chloe_  can’t get a date for the dance.” Jesse mused, and for a fleeting moment Beca’s stomach twisted with jealousy. What was that supposed to mean? Did Jesse find Chloe attractive? Beca would agree with him if he did. Her best friend  _was_  attractive. But still…it wasn’t right for him to suggest it so casually.

“Sooooo…is that a yes?” Beca asked, holding her breath while her boyfriend appeared to sit down with a sigh wherever he was in LA.

“Yeah. No, it’s a good idea Beca. Ask Chloe to go with you. Try to cheer her up.”

“Will you be my wing-man? Like, tell her you’ve got someone for her but she can’t find out who it is until the night?” Beca asked hopefully. It was weird to ask her own boyfriend to be a ‘wing-man’ for her to ask her best friend on a kind of date. Perhaps wing-man was a poor choice of label. And Beca scrunched her face up, hoping Jesse wouldn’t read too much into this. She just wanted to help her best friend out. That was all.

“I thought you hated surprises.” Jesse said in a suspicious tone.

“I do.” Beca quickly replied, “But not if I’m part of the planning of one.”

—  **One Week Later**  —

“I-I can’t believe it!” Chloe gushed, completely overwhelmed by the gesture her best friend was making here to ensure she wasn’t dateless for the Sadie Hawkins - an event she’d been excited about attending with her friends for years, patiently waiting for them to reach senior year so she could go. “Beca you…you planned all this for me?”

And Beca, ever the casual nonplussed individual, simply shrugged as if it were no big deal, “You love surprises. You love big gestures. And you’ve loved the idea of Sadie Hawkins for years. I couldn’t let you go to this thing alone.”

Chloe felt tears build in her eyes, becoming somewhat oevrwhelmed with emotion. This was possibly the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

“I don’t know what to say.” she mumbled with a soft smile on her face, and Beca reached out to take her hand.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Beca replied kindly, a grin spreading across her face while she slowly began to guide them through to the main hub of the dance, “You can do all the talking with those hips of yours, Beale.”

And Chloe let out a giggle as she gripped Beca’s hand, allowing herself to be guided within the crowd of fellow seniors who all had a good look at them as they passed. But Chloe didn’t care. And neither did Beca, it seemed.

This was what best friends did. They looked out for one another. And they went as plus ones to events if it was important enough to the other.

—  **Seven Week’s Later** —

Beca crashed through the back door of The Bellas house, her lips swollen from the earlier make-out session, her slippers crunching in the compact snow in the back yard as she followed a fuming Jesse to a clearing a little bit away from the house. Her chest felt tight as he wheeled around on the spot and glared at her.

“You want to explain, huh?” He asked, clearly furious and confused about what he’d just walked in on in the kitchen moments before, “Well then explain to me how long you and Chloe have been screwing around with each other behind my back!”

Beca swallowed loudly, her hands tightening into fists. Her heart beat heavy against her ribs. She was embarrassed. She was ashamed. And she was upset.

She and Chloe had never meant to start this thing at the intensity that they had. They had never meant to continue it at the intensity that they had. And they’d certainly never meant to get caught. Not least of all by Beca’s boyfriend…


	25. Blizzard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Best friends Beca and Chloe take their friend's daughter to a cabin for a week away..

Chloe Beale bit her bottom lip as she hovered in the doorway of the bedroom. There, sat in a rocking chair, lit by a single lamp, was Beca Mitchell. Beca Mitchell with a storybook in one hand, while her other hand smoothed slowly up and down the back of eighteen month old Bella Conrad. The brunette was busy reading a storybook to the little girl, who lay front-first against Beca’s chest, her little heavy eyelids drifting closed then open again as though fighting sleep.

Beca and Chloe weren’t dating. They hadn’t ever discussed the notion. But they  _did_  secretly have a crush on one another. And as a way of dealing with the potentially unrequited love, the two women had seemed to have settled into a wonderful domestic routine whereby Chloe would ‘go home’ during each break from college, to Beca’s apartment in LA. There the two would act very much like a couple - save for the kissing and other close intimate activities..

They had also agreed to take care of their friend’s daughter for the week. The week that they also happened to have booked a cabin away at a national park in Quebec as some sort of ‘relaxing retreat’ that they both apparently desperately required and that Beca wanted to treat Chloe to as a way of celebrating the ‘completion’ of her second year at Vet School (though Spring Break didn’t exactly mark the end of the school year).

Beca had panicked a bit when she realised they’d already agreed to take care of Bella. But Bella’s mother, ever the laid-back woman, said that if they wanted they were more than welcome to take Bella with them to their ‘cabin retreat’. Something that Chloe had leapt at the chance to do. She loved being domestic with Beca. And she loved the idea of playing ‘happy families’ with her.

So there Beca sat, completely oblivious to the presence of her best friend stood in the doorway. Chloe’s heart warmed at the sight of the woman who she had secretly loved for almost eight years. The woman who had once been so prickly and gruff and unaffectionate, but was now sat in a cabin she’d hired as a surprise for Chloe, while comforting one of their close friends’ little girl. Chloe’s ovaries were bursting at the sight.

Bella’s eyes finally fluttered closed for the last time and Beca paused her reading while she felt the little body in her arms go heavy. She peered down and a soft smile swept over her face as she stopped moving the rocking chair. First full day here at the cabin and it hadn’t been quite as full on as Beca had feared it would be while trying to wrangle an energetic kid. Chloe had been a complete god-send, miraculously knowing exactly what to do with Bella at every stage of the day. So when the redhead had advised Beca to just carry Bella through to the bedroom, sit on the rocking chair with her, and quietly read her a story, Beca had done exactly that with no further questions.

She’d been nervous of course. After all, she didn’t have much experience looking after kids beyond the random weeks that Chloe volunteered them to look after Bella - whenever Chloe was back from college. The challenge was usually that Bella had grown more both in body and personality each time, that every moment was a learning curve for Beca.

But to see Chloe with Bella made it all worthwhile. Because Beca  _loved_  seeing how maternal Chloe was. Craved the day that she might pluck up the courage to tell Chloe exactly how she felt, which would one day lead to them having children of their own.

For now though, Beca was just about content enough with the arrangement they currently had. Beca adored spending time with Chloe, even though she was coy about it. She just wished she could kiss Chloe during the quiet moments when it was just the two of them sat so close that if they turned their heads their noses would touch.

Beca looked up from Bella and her heart skipped a beat as she saw Chloe stood in the doorway, the redhead’s soft smile broadening.

“You’re a natural.” Chloe cooed in a quiet tone - not wanting to disturb the peace within the tranquil cabin. Beca’s cheeks flushed pink as she smiled gratefully at her best friend, feeling a little embarrassed by the compliment, and turned to look back down at Bella.

Bella still remained sleeping peacefully against Beca’s body. Beca couldn’t quite believe she’d done it. She’d managed to rock a child to sleep all by herself. While  _reading -_ something she’d always struggled with while growing up due to her dyslexia. But Bella’s nice simple books made reading a pleasure rather than a chore, and Beca was grateful Stacie had packed them in Bella’s little suitcase.

She noticed out the corner of her eye, Chloe slowly approaching them, and immediately felt calm when the woman’s hand smoothed gently onto her shoulder. Then she watched as Chloe’s other hand appeared into her eyeline and delicately swept Bella’s brown hair back. There was something so intimate about this moment that had Beca feel a sudden uncharacteristic urge to cry.

Life was hard work.  _Work_  was hard work. Her schedule was always full and Beca felt as though she were caught in some sort of whirlwind most of the time. But whenever Chloe returned to her, Beca felt this odd sense of calm. As though the world stopped for a couple of moments, long enough for her to catch her breath and find some equilibrium in her life.

The brunette let out a sigh of content, and took the opportunity to look up from the sleeping babe in her arms, to her best friend beside her. Her eyes clasped onto Chloe’s, while the woman looked down at her.

This was something that happened rather frequently between them. They could hold eye contact for such a long period of time, and never feel uncomfortable. If anything, it made them feel  _safer_. More connected. It was the thing that made Beca and Chloe far closer than any of The Bellas - even more so than Jessica and Ashley.

After several moments, Chloe took the book from Beca’s hand and steadied the rocking chair while Beca eased herself up to her feet. The brunette carefully wandered over to the king-sized bed in the room, and gently placed Bella down towards the middle of it, pulling the bedsheets over her lower body.

The two women stood side-by-side, letting out a sigh each while soft smiles remained on their faces. They looked down at the little girl, still hardly able to believe they were here. Together.  _With a child_. Now all that was really left, to add to the romance of it all, was to kiss..

Chloe felt her heart skip a beat when Beca snaked an arm around the small of her back, and she automatically brought her own arm around her best friend. Her crush.

“We’d better get more supplies in the morning if there’s gonna be a blizzard..” Beca mumbled thoughtfully, her eyes still remaining on the kid that was snoozing in their bed - the only bed in the cabin. But Chloe’s eyes had already drifted over to watch Beca thoughtfully. To admire her beauty. To wonder what had driven the recording artist to sweep her arm around her waist so affectionately.

Her heart skipped another beat when Beca slowly turned her head to look at her, and Chloe swore she saw her best friend’s eyes flicker down to her lips momentarily. Beca’s smile grew, and she rocked her hip against Chloe’s.

“Shall we get that fire going?” she mumbled with a wink.

Chloe’s smile grew at the playful tone of Beca’s voice and body posture. It was going to be an interesting evening if this was the mood Beca was in..


End file.
